Against Each Other
by Bobapearl
Summary: Her fear kept her silent. Her panic led her to run. And her betrayal left him scarred. But when their paths unexpectedly cross again, the fire that ignites between the two becomes far greater than either of them could handle.
1. The Call

Hello everyone! Wow, it feels like forever since the last time I wrote a story. I have to say, I quite miss doing this and am so glad that I have more time to do so. With this new idea in mind, I have a couple of scenarios planned out and will be trying something different than what I'm used to. Thank you for giving it a try and I look forward to your comments. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

It was only the middle of May and the heat was already unbearable. People were bustling down the crowded streets as if their feet were on fire and with the temperature at 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it might just be the case.

But she, on the other hand, had always enjoyed the sun. Even now, when every customer chose to bask in the wonderful treat of air conditioning, she chose to sit outside with her face tipped towards the bright yellow rays. Her agency would have scolded her for even trying to darken her beautiful milky skin, but she didn't mind. A little vitamin D never hurt anyone.

And as she began to close her eyes in pure contentment, her cell phone upon the table beeped once. Reaching for the slender device, she flipped it open and giggled. "Then what in the world took you so long?" she asked in a raised voice over her shoulder.

"I walked by a doughnut shop and was debating on whether or not I should indulge," a young blonde answered as she walked up from behind in heels that could easily scare off any woman. "That is, until I remembered the size of my hips." Carrie shuddered. "So, I opted for a Greek yogurt instead."

Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "You know, most girls would kill for a body like yours."

"Then they would probably sell their soul for yours. And will you please take that wig off? You're not fooling anyone."

"Fooled you, didn't I?" Kyoko retorted, moving the large sunglasses to the top of her red head, her amber gaze glistening with amusement.

"No, you didn't," Carrie replied as she pulled out the wicker chair beside her and crossed her long legs. "I knew it was you all along."

"Then why did you walk past this coffee shop four times?"

Carrie pursed her lips. "You saw and didn't call me over?"

"I figured you'd realize eventually."

"Well aren't you sweet?" Carrie said with a roll of her green eyes as she took a sip of Kyoko's latte.

"Oh please, help yourself. I wasn't going to finish that at all."

"Well, what do you know? You really are sweet," Carrie answered with a grin.

Kyoko laughed. "Only to you."

"Oh, I know. What dear ol' Bradley would do to be in my shoes."

Kyoko grimaced and shook her head. "He talked to you?"

She nodded. "I can't believe you turned him down—AGAIN. What is it, like the third movie role you've denied him? I think he's starting to suspect something. He's really not that bad of an actor, you know."

She let out a long sigh and flipped the fake, ruby tresses over her shoulder. "I know. It's not him."

"So it's you?"

Kyoko reached for her cup and took a sip.

"Are you going to tell me what's up or do I need to drag it out of you?" Carrie asked with narrowed eyes. "You've been acting strange."

"How so?"

"Well for one thing, you didn't show up at the agency today. And in the years I've known you, you've never once missed work before."

Kyoko turned her gaze to the busy street, watching the cars inch their way through traffic. It was the typical day in New York City, a place where being late meant being right on time. It was such a crazy place, but she understood the appeal. Life was exciting here. Life was unpredictable here. Life was an escape here.

"Kyoko?"

She sighed. "I got a call today."

"From who?"

"My boss."

"Syd—?"

"No."

Carrie's eyes widened. "When?"

"This morning."

"What did he want?" she asked in a whisper.

Kyoko brought her arm to the table and rested her heated forehead in the palm of her hand. "He wants me to come back—on Friday."

"Friday? As in TOMORROW?"

She nodded.

"Are you going to go?"

"No—yes—maybe—I don't know." Kyoko groaned and ran both of her hands in her hair. "I really don't know."

Carrie sat back against the seat and crossed her arms, turning her eyes towards the street.

"I can think of a million reasons why I should stay," Kyoko continued in barely a murmur, "but at the same time…" she let out a shaky breath.

"You should go."

Kyoko turned back and saw Carrie staring at her. "Why?"

"Because it's your home," she answered in a soft voice.

"So is here."

"New York has never been your home."

"What are you talking about?"

Clasping her hands together upon the table, Carrie raised a delicate eyebrow and said, "You've worked with the same acting agency for almost three years now, Kyoko, and yet you never signed on to be a permanent actress for the company. Why is that?"

Kyoko blinked in surprise at the random, but obviously true statement, and stammered, "I d-d-don't know."

"And all those boxes in your apartment? You never unpacked them. Why not?"

"I don't—"

"Well, I do. From the start, you've had one foot here and one foot out the door, Kyoko. Admit it, you never expected to stay."

Guilt coursed through her veins before she could help it. It was true. She never really tried to settle down. Even though she changed her style of clothes, her way of speaking, even her choice of food, she never felt like a "New Yorkian." A part of her, no matter how much she tried not to, had always thought about going back. Even though the problem was still back there, even though her feelings hadn't changed in the slightest, THERE would always be home.

Kyoko lowered her eyes in shame. "Carrie…"

Her friend let out a small smile and patted her hand. "Kyoko, I'm not mad. I'm just trying to help you see."

"See what?"

"That you're homesick."

She shook her head. "I left there for a reason, Carrie."

"And now you're going to go back for a different one."

Kyoko dropped her head in her hands. "It's not that simple," she murmured.

Carrie pressed her lips in a thin line. "Look, I know we both agreed that I will never ask you what happened," she began with raised hands in surrender, "but from where I'm sitting, you're ready to go back and there's really nothing here to stop you."

"It's not here," Kyoko mumbled. "It's there. The problem is still there."

"Is it ever going to go away?"

She shook her head. "At this rate, I don't think it ever will."

"Then what? Are you going to just avoid it forever?"

Kyoko laughed darkly. "I won't say I never considered it."

"That's not the friend I came to love."

Raising her head, she caught Carrie's reassuring gaze and smiled weakly. "Call it a relapse?"

"And to think, I expected more of you," Carrie scoffed, taking another sip of the coffee.

"Now you're really laying on the guilt."

"It's my job. And it's also my job to tell you what to do when you can't think straight. So," Carrie stood up and grabbed Kyoko's cell phone, "you call your boss and tell him to get the ticket ready."

Kyoko rose to her feet and stared at the device in her friend's outstretched hand. She could feel her heart beating straight out of her chest. Her legs shook from sheer anxiety and her head felt like it was filled with cotton. Just thinking about stepping off that plane was enough to get her running again. Just thinking about what she would face nearly made her want to forget again.

But the truth was, she never forgot—not once in the three years she'd been hiding.

Carrie clicked her tongue, pulling Kyoko's wide-eyed gaze back to her face. "So? You going to go or what?"

* * *

"Yashiro! Come take a shot with us!"

"YEAH!"

Cursing his luck for getting caught, he turned around and waved his hand at the group, but continued to take a few steps in the opposite direction. "Thanks guys, but I think I'm done for the night!"

"Aww, come on!"

"Live a little!"

"Don't be such a loser!"

Yashiro smiled nervously and waved once more before swerving his way through the dancing crowd. Damn, he hated parties like these. There was just no way of meeting anyone, let alone having a nice conversation. The music was hammering his brain like a meat cleaver and the amount of people cramped into this one place was sure to be a fire hazard. He really needed to find Ren and get them out of here.

After what felt like an endless maze of gyrating bodies, he walked into the kitchen and to his instant relief found his employer and friend standing at the marbled counter. "Ren!"

Turning to the familiar voice, the young actor raised his head and smiled, easily bringing the women around him to their knees. "Got lost?" he said over the thundering bass.

Yashiro narrowed his eyes and squeezed through the girls before standing beside him. "This is crazy. I can't believe you agreed to come to this."

"Hey, you're the one who said I should get to know my coworkers."

"Yeah well, I didn't think they would invite you to a house party. Honestly, how in the world is this fun? I can barely hear myself think in here!"

Ren chuckled and put his glass down upon the countertop. "Ready to leave?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Yashiro mumbled as he readjusted the leather jacket the guys insisted he wear. The heat in this room was practically gluing the fabric to his skin. What he would do to be back in his regular, cotton suit.

Ren smiled. "Alright, I'll just go tell Kenji we're leaving."

On cue, everyone in the kitchen began to whine, begging Ren to stay for just a few more minutes. But making sure to say his goodbyes to each of them, he slowly made his way through the crowd with Yashiro close in tow.

In truth, Ren didn't like these kinds of gatherings either. He wasn't old enough to say that parties weren't his thing anymore, but he was mature enough to say he preferred his nights a little quieter. So when he was a few feet away from the front door, Ren was grateful to see the host already there. "Thank you for inviting us here, Kenji," Ren said over the chatter as he approached a black-haired man dressed in a casual shirt and jeans.

"Hey no problem, man. Heading out already?"

"Yeah, early day tomorrow."

He clapped a hand on Ren's shoulder and shook his head with a grin. "Man, you look twenty five, but you act like you're forty. Is it so bad to take it easy every once in a while?"

"I didn't get where I am by taking it easy, Kenji," he answered, playfully punching him in the arm.

Kenji laughed. "Playing the 'I'm holier than thou' card, huh? Alright, you win this time Ren, but after my movie hits theaters, that number one title of yours is going to be mine."

"Or mine," a female voice interjected. "You're not the only one in the movie, Kenji."

They both turned around and smiled at the woman in a mini-black dress leaning against the archway. She brushed her auburn hair across her forehead and flashed a devious smile. "That movie would be nothing without me and you know it."

Kenji walked over and wrapped an arm around her bare shoulder. "So touchy, Ryoko. We're co-stars, aren't we? Can't we share the title?"

Laughing, she brushed her fingertips against his cheek before murmuring, "I don't share anything that belongs to me." She then ducked underneath his extended arm and made her way over to Ren. "Leaving so soon?"

"He has an early day tomorrow," Kenji answered from behind.

"And you weren't going to say bye?" Ryoko asked, still keeping her eyes on Ren's.

Ren smiled sheepishly. "We just wanted to make a quick exit."

"So this is all Yashiro's fault?" Ryoko teased as she turned to the bespectacled manager. "Can't he stay a little longer, Yashiro? You can take the car on your own, can't you?"

But before Yashiro could reply, Ren stepped forward and replied, "We both have a busy day tomorrow."

"When do you not, Ren?" But seeing the resolve in his brown eyes, she only laughed and said, "Alright, at least let me walk you out."

Ren smiled and nodded. "I'll see you another time, Kenji?"

"Sure thing, man. You both have a good night."

With Ryoko leading the way, the two men walked out of the booming house and down the cemented slope towards their silver car. Once the vehicle was in sight, Yashiro bade a quick goodbye to Ryoko and unlocked the door to let himself in.

Now alone, she turned around to face Ren and placed a hand upon her hip. "You promised me a full night and this hardly counts as even half."

Ren smiled weakly. "I know. I'll make it up to you."

"Like you've never said that before."

Placing a large hand upon her shoulder, he said with softened eyes, "Things have been a little crazy, Ryoko. I know it's no excuse, but I really do apologize for always rescheduling."

Ryoko narrowed her eyes. "Are you turning on your charm to get out of trouble again?"

"Nothing of the sort," Ren chuckled.

Laughing gently at his teasing reply, she wrapped both arms around his torso and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I miss you, Ren."

"I haven't gone anywhere," he said as he ran a hand down her sleek hair.

"But you seem distant, even more so than usual."

He stopped.

Noticing his pause, she looked up from under her dark lashes and murmured, "You can tell me anything, Ren. I'll understand."

"There's nothing to say."

"Ren—"

He took a step back and flashed a tight smile. "You should go back inside, Ryoko. It's getting cold."

"But I—"

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

She sighed. It was his wall again. She'd gotten too close and just like the many times before, Ren put up the same shield to keep her and everyone else out. Sometimes, it infuriated her. Sometimes, it hurt her. And sometimes, Ryoko wondered if there was anyone in the world who could get through to him. She had hoped that after the years they had worked together on set, the ice around him would lessen, but nothing had really changed except for the fact that she had come to feel even stronger for a man who puzzled her the more she got to know him.

Ryoko won't deny her feelings for Ren, but how could they possibly move forward when he wouldn't let her in?

Still, realizing that this wasn't the time to push him, Ryoko could only smile back at his tense expression and nod. "Tomorrow it is," she murmured.

Relaxed now, Ren touched her head one last time before turning away and walking towards his car. Yashiro rolled up the window as soon as he climbed in behind the wheel. But just as Ren reached for the keys in the ignition, Yashiro added in a soft voice, "She's right you know."

"About what?"

"You do seem more distant, especially today."

Ren shook his head and started the engine. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Yashiro glared. "Ren, do you realize who you're talking to? I'm not Ryoko." He let out an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes. "I know what today is."

The tension in the room couldn't have gotten any thicker. The only sound was the low rumble of the car, but the deathly silence between the two men made it hard to take in a single breath. Yashiro should have backed off, he should have left the matter alone, but he was done with giving Ren his space.

Ever since that day, Ren had changed. He became someone darker, colder, and what was worse, unmoving. Always in control, always composed, always unfeeling, Ren was now another man entirely. It pained Yashiro to watch, but even so, he understood why. In fact, he understood so well that out of respect for Ren, Yashiro decided to play along with his façade by refusing to say her name, by avoiding the topic, and by acting as if she had never existed.

But it was days like these that made it all too clear she did.

Ren's hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned stark white. Anger bubbled up to the surface, frustration poured through his body, but worse of all, his hold on control was slipping.

Not here. Not now. Not like this.

"Ren, I know it's hard," Yashiro said gently.

"I don't want to hear this."

"But you have to! It's been three years, Ren! Don't you think it's time we talk about this? Even Ky—!"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Ren whipped his hand into his trouser pocket and pulled the phone to his ear. The distraction couldn't come at a better time. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if Yashiro continued on. Although he knew Yashiro meant well, Ren had only so much patience. So breathing in deeply through his nose, he said in steady voice, "Hello?"

"Oh good, you aren't asleep yet," a deep voice answered.

"Is something wrong, President Lory sir?" Ren asked, somewhat taken aback by the caller.

Yashiro raised his eyebrow in surprise. It was pretty late for Ren to be getting a call from the agency, let alone one directly from the head honcho himself.

President Lory chuckled. "Always on the defense, aren't you? No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to ask you for a favor."

"A favor?" Ren repeated. "What kind of favor?"

"How busy are you tomorrow?" he asked instead.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Ren replied, "The usual, I suppose. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping you could pick up something important for me. I'm a little busy myself and am unable to make the trip."

Ren turned to Yashiro whose confused expression mirrored his own. But giving his head a shake, Ren said into the receiver, "Of course sir, where would you like me to go?"

"The airport."


	2. Wounds Reopened

Hi all! Thank you so much for the positive reviews. I'm really glad that all liked the chapter and greatly appreciate your support. I hope this chapter meets your expectations as well. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko nibbled on her bottom lip as she drummed her fingers on the leather armrest. She should call. She should definitely call. She shouldn't come unannounced. She should call…right?

Sighing what felt like a million years worth of sighs, she thumped her head back and forth against the seat with closed eyes and dropped her arm off to the side. The phone felt heavy in her dangling grasp, as if it was taunting her for every second she let pass. Kyoko had the number ready on her screen for the past two hours now, but the will to push SEND completely escaped her.

She was scared, so intensely scared.

"Mogami-san?"

She cracked open one eye.

Smiling down at her amusing expression, the flight attendant dipped her head in greeting and said, "I just wanted to let you know we'll be arriving in less than 30 minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Kyoko repeated with incredulity as she sat up straighter, wide alert now.

The attendant nodded. "Is something wrong?"

Kyoko pinched the bridge of her nose and mumbled, "No, no. It's fine. Thank you." When the flight attendant made her way back up the aisle of the private jet, Kyoko brought the phone back to her face and breathed in deeply. She had to. It was now or never. Pressing the green button with her thumb, she held the phone next to her ear and prayed that her erratic heartbeats will slow before she went into cardiac arrest.

RING!

RING!

RING!

RI—!

…

"H-h-hello?"

…

"Hel—?"

"What took you so long?"

Kyoko let out a shaky breath as she dropped her head into her hand. Tears fell from her eyes and the sobs began to crawl up her throat. But holding back the sounds, Kyoko smiled through the mist and whispered, "Time got the best of me."

"And now?"

"I'm back."

"When do you land?"

Kyoko blinked in surprise.

"What? You thought I wouldn't know?" she retorted.

"H-h-how?"

"I knew you'd come back eventually."

Feeling the tears well up again at her obvious faith, Kyoko closed her eyes and cried, "I really miss you, Moko-san."

Kanae leaned back against the wall of her dressing room and closed her eyes. She wouldn't give Kyoko the satisfaction of hearing her choke up, no matter how relieved she was to finally hear her voice again. She would be damned to let Kyoko know that these last three years had been hard for her, that she had undoubtedly missed her best friend too. So breathing in deeply, she said in her usual cold voice, "Of course you would. Did you expect any less?"

Kyoko laughed through her tears and nodded. "You're right. You're always right."

Kanae cracked a smile, but instead of responding in kind, she asked, "So, when do you land?"

"In 30 minutes or so."

"And I'm assuming President Lory is getting you."

"I think so," Kyoko said with a sniff as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Are you coming to the agency?"

"Yeah, I am."

Nodding, Kanae switched hands and said, "Alright, have a good flight then. Goodbye."

"Wait, Moko-san!"

"What?"

Kyoko gripped the device tightly to her ear. Now that she was on the phone with her, she needed to tell her. Now that they were talking, she needed to let her know. Now that they were finally speaking…

"I just…I just want to—"

"If you're going to apologize, save it."

She stopped.

"Because I expect one face to face. Understand?"

A laugh escaped Kyoko's lips as her heart swelled with relief. "Yes, Moko-san."

"I'll see you later." And with one single click, she was gone.

But it didn't matter because in what felt like forever, Kyoko could finally breathe again. She looked out the tiny window and watched the land beneath whizz by. A small smile graced her lips as she realized that maybe going back won't be so bad. That maybe she could do this. That maybe going home was a good idea after all.

* * *

"Yashiro, if you keep scowling, that's going to be a permanent look for you," Ren pointed out as he approached LME's private gate of the airport.

"I can't help it! With all due respect to President Lory, but asking us to pick someone up without providing their name or even what they look is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!"

"We're at a secluded area, Yashiro," Ren said with a gesture of his hand at the nearly empty lobby. "It won't be hard to determine who it is."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you're alright with this, then I have no complaints."

"By all means complain, Yashiro," Ren chuckled. "I'm just trying to alleviate your irritation."

Grumbling an incomprehensible response, Yashiro walked towards the large glass window that faced the concrete runway and stared out at the scene ahead.

Ren shook his head with a smile and sat down on one of the plush seats behind him. He had to admit he was curious as to who this visitor was as well. President Lory rarely had guests and one as important as this where he offered his own private plane was certainly new. He racked his brain to try to guess who this mystery person could be, but every option he came up with seemed more unlikely than the last. So deciding to let it be, Ren leaned back and closed his eyes.

Slowly, his tired mind began to drift, to the mystifying person sitting upon that plane, to the day planned ahead, to the events of the night before…

His hand curled into a tight fist. He had to be more careful. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him again, not after suppressing them for so long, not after keeping them bottled up inside for so long. He couldn't fail now.

But yesterday…yesterday was too much. Yesterday brought everything back.

Even now, he could imagine her face. Even now, he could hear her voice. Even after all these years, his heart still ached. Ren's jaw tightened as he felt the same dark wave threaten to pull him under. He refused to go through this now, not in front of spectators, not in front of witnesses, not in front of anyone.

No matter how much pain, no matter how much agony, Ren could do this, and even more importantly, he could do this alone.

"Ren?"

He wrenched his eyes open and saw Yashiro point to a silver bird flying towards them.

"It's here."

Getting to his feet, Ren buttoned up his grey jacket and asked, "Think you can keep your angry comments to yourself, Yashiro?"

He glared. "I have nothing against whoever this is. I was just upset with our predicament."

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, alright," Yashiro conceded. "I'll behave."

In a few short minutes, a male voice came over the intercom and announced the arrival of flight 143. Ren stood by the gate and watched a couple of attendants and pilots make their exit. But after waiting for a few more minutes, he realized no one else was getting off.

"Did we miss them?" Yashiro asked as he swiveled around in confusion.

"No, I don't think so," Ren mumbled.

"I'll go check and see what's wrong."

And as if called on cue, two people walked off the platform together. One was clearly another flight attendant dressed in the usual navy suit with her hair pinned in a neat bun while the other was a woman Ren had never seen before. Tall and slender with cascading golden hair, she was dressed in dark fitted jeans that accentuated her long legs and a red, silk blouse that would catch anyone's attention. It left her slender shoulders bare and the neckline was designed with intricate beading that easily brought the focus to her face. Pulling a black suitcase with another bag hooked around her arm, she seemed to be apologizing to the flight attendant who only smiled and waved her hand as if brushing her apology away.

"I think that's her," Yashiro whispered.

Ren nodded. She certainly carried the grace of someone famous. Even disregarding the clothes she wore that were obviously high class, the way she moved was in such a dignified manner that even he couldn't help but admit she was almost royalty-like.

"Shall we go greet her then?" Yashiro asked, this time catching his fleeting gaze.

Ren didn't understand why he was at such a loss of words or why he kept staring at her. Maybe it was because he wanted to get a better look, to match a face to this person who was not only President Lory's special guest, but seemed to awaken a part of him he thought had died long ago: sincere curiosity.

"Ren?"

"Uh, right, yes, we should go greet her."

They walked forward and stood a few feet away, waiting for the women to approach. The flight attendant raised her head and practically dropped dead on her feet when she saw who it was. She quickly passed the woman beside her who, on closer inspection, also sported a pair of very large sunglasses.

"Oh my god, Tsuruga Ren! I'm THE biggest fan! I can't believe it's you!"

Ren smiled politely and grasped her outstretched hand. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh please! The pleasure is mine. I absolutely love all of your works!"

While continuing to shake her eager hand, Ren stole a quick glance at the guest and saw that she remained where she was. He couldn't see the look in her eyes, or rather most of her face since the sunglasses kept it from view, but merely from her stance, he could tell she was rooted to the spot.

Noticing Ren's distracted gaze, the flight attendant turned around and said with alarm, "Oh! I'm so sorry! You must be here to pick up Ky—"

"NO!"

Her exclamation ricocheted off the walls, causing both Yashiro and the flight attendant to jump in surprise. "I-I-I'm sorry," the flight attendant stammered as if scolded. "Did I say something—?" She fell silent as Ren stepped in front of her.

His eyes were locked on her face. Everything around him faded to black except for her. Nothing else existed. Nothing else mattered. Because in the instant she spoke, he knew. He knew. There was just no doubt about it. He knew.

Her eyes may have been concealed, but he could see the slight tremble in her stance. Her expression revealed nothing, but he could feel the anxiety in the air. Closing the short distance between them, Ren ran his eyes over her body, hair, and face. This wasn't the same person from three years ago. This wasn't the same person who left. But still, he knew.

So when he lifted a hand to her glasses, she didn't stop him. When he pulled the frames off her face, she didn't turn away. When Yashiro's surprised yelp erupted from behind, she didn't panic. In fact, her gaze was oddly as steady as his.

"K-K-Kyoko-chan?"

Dragging her eyes away from the source of her shot nerves, she turned towards the voice that spoke and forced a smile. "Hello Yashiro-san."

"Oh my god," he murmured, scurrying forward with flailing hands. "I can't believe—how did you—? When did you—?"

Kyoko laughed breathlessly and replied, "I know."

Stunned beyond belief, Yashiro had to blink a few more times before he was sure she wasn't going to vanish into thin air. It was obviously Kyoko, but at the same time it obviously wasn't. She looked so grown up—no longer a girl, but a full-fledged woman with the looks to prove it. She matured beautifully. But when he gazed into those familiar eyes, the sweet timid Kyoko he had always adored continued to look right back at him.

Yashiro grinned. "It doesn't matter," he reassured with a shake of his head as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I'm so glad you're back, Kyoko-chan."

Moved beyond words by his touching gesture, she returned his embrace with closed eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Yashiro-san. I'm glad to see you."

He leaned back with a brotherly smile and gripped the top of her arms. "Well then, let's get you back to LME, shall we?" he offered brightly. "There are plenty of people who I'm sure are going to be more than pleased to know you've returned. Not to mention, there's so much catching up to do and I have no idea where to start. Honestly, you should have called, Kyoko-chan! If we had known you were coming—"

"Yashiro-san."

He stopped his rant and looked down at her, seeing the strained smile upon her face. And just like that, he was brought back down to the tense reality before them. Upon remembering his friend, Yashiro glanced to the side and realized Ren hadn't moved in the slightest. The expression he wore was unreadable, as if he felt completely nonchalant about the whole situation. But Yashiro knew better. He knew that on the inside, Ren was reeling…reeling with what, however, he had no clue.

So clearing his throat, he reached for her suitcase and said, "How about I take your luggage, Kyoko-chan? The limo is waiting right outside, so just come out whenever you're ready, okay?"

Kyoko nodded. "Thank you, Yashiro-san."

He gave her one last hug before motioning to the flight attendant, praying that he wasn't making a mistake by leaving them together.

Once they left, there was nothing left for her to do but to face him. Clenching and unclenching her frozen hand, Kyoko felt like she was going to pass out from shock. To see him standing there, to see him look straight at her were enough to bring her to her trembling knees. His presence was as overpowering as ever. But even though he looked the same, even though she recognized the gentleman-like poise and charming looks, it was clear he had changed as well.

The jaw lines of his face were more pronounced, his tall frame seemed slimmer, and his hair was cut shorter. But the one thing that surprised her the most was the color of his eyes. They appeared darker somehow, much darker than she had remembered.

She didn't know how long she stared at him. Kyoko could have been drowning for all she knew, but at the sound of his voice, she flinched so hard that she would have been humiliated if not for the words that left his lips:

"Why are you here?"

She prepared for this. Kyoko had already predicted this, but the pain still shocked her. She could hear the resentment, his obvious distaste. He hated her once before, but this…this was long past hate.

Yet refusing to look frail in his eyes, she squared her shoulders and stood to her full height. "President Lory called me back."

"Why?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I don't know," Kyoko admitted honestly.

He looked at her for what felt like an eternity before smoothly turning around and walking towards the exit. At the sight of him leaving, Kyoko couldn't help it. It was as if she had no self control at all because before she could even think of stopping herself, she opened her mouth and cried,

"Tsuruga-san!"

Kyoko froze. She should have taken it back, make sort of excuse, say something else, but nothing would spill forth from her mouth. She was too afraid to say anything. It was as if her body acted on impulse, as if it didn't remember what it did…what _she_ did.

But just seeing the way his shoulders coiled with tension, how he refused to turn around and acknowledge her made her want to shrink away. It wasn't like she expected otherwise. After what she did to him, how could they ever go back? But even though she had already accepted the consequences of her actions, Kyoko couldn't stop. She just couldn't stop.

"I just…I just want to—"

"I don't care. I don't care about what you want. I don't care about what you have to say. And I don't care why you're here. You're free to do whatever it is that pleases you, but if you're smart, you're going to turn around, get on that plane, and go back to where you came from."

"And what if I say no?" she asked back loudly.

Ren slowly turned to face her.

"For conversation's sake, let's say I'm not smart. What then?"

Surprised by her biting reply, he looked straight into her amber eyes and saw irritation flaming within their depths. She was actually standing up to him. But refusing to be so affected, he replied in an equally hard voice, "You should go regardless."

"And leave without saying anything?"

"That didn't stop you before."

Then without sparing her another glance, Ren picked up his feet and walked away…

…ignoring the fact that he was supposed to bring her back…

…ignoring the fact that she was standing alone…

…and ignoring the fact that he had hurt her, just like she had hurt him.


	3. How to Forget

Hello! Thank you for clicking on the link. I'm glad that you all are interested with the story and it certainly gives me the fuel to keep on writing. I hope you continue to be interested. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Yashiro didn't know what to do. He tried to keep his gaze forward, but her presence was like a magnet, pulling his attention to her no matter how hard he tried to give her space. So hopelessly defeated, he turned his head to the side and watched her look out the tinted window of the limo. She had her chin in the palm of her hand and one leg crossed over the other, a posture of pure relaxation if not for the sad look in her eyes.

When Kyoko had walked out of the airport alone, Yashiro had no idea what to say. He could only watch her climb into the limo in silence. Of course, it was no surprise that Ren was nowhere in sight. Her expression said more than enough.

But even though he sympathized with his friend, just looking at Kyoko was twisting his stomach into knots. Yashiro had no idea what to say to appease her, no words to console her heavy heart that was so clearly spelled out across her face. But the silence was killing him. He had to say something—anything.

"Kyoko-chan."

She turned to him with wide eyes, as if she had completely forgotten he was in the car with her. But quickly recovering, she smiled and said, "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I just feel a little…"

"Nervous?"

She smiled gratefully and nodded. "Right, nervous. It's been awhile since I've been in LME. It must have changed a lot."

"There was a little remodeling done, but most if it is the same," Yashiro explained. "President Lory is probably too attached to the building to make any big changes."

"You're probably right."

Yashiro smiled in reply. Although it was a weak attempt on his part, at least he succeeded in getting her to talk. If he could do anything to make this situation remotely better, he was going to try. "So, what's New York like, Kyoko-chan? Is it fun?"

"It has its moments, but I think hectic is a better word. Life feels like it's on hyper-speed over there."

"Wow, sounds…intense."

"You can say that," she said with a laugh, "but it makes time fly by really fast."

"What about the people over there? What are they like?"

Kyoko shook her head with a sigh. "They're loud, crazy, can never take no for an answer, and will do just about anything to have fun." She then raised her head with a tender gaze. "All in all, they're amazing."

"You must have made a lot of good friends then."

Nodding, she replied, "They made adjusting a lot easier for me. I don't know how I could have survived without them, but that's enough about me, Yashiro-san. What about you? How is everything here?"

"Oh, the typical," he answered with a wave of his hand, "appointments, rescheduling, meetings, more rescheduling, and of course, even more rescheduling."

"Sounds like you have been busy here too," she teased.

"There are so many projects, movies, and dramas; honestly, I have a hard time telling them all apart from each other."

"His career must be going well."

Yashiro stopped. There it was. Land mine. Of course they were going to reach this topic. With him as his manager, he was bound to come up eventually. So flashing a weak smile, Yashiro replied, "He's been getting offers non-stop."

Kyoko nodded, unable to say anything else. It felt as if her throat had closed up on her.

He faced the front again and said, "He hasn't turned any of them down yet. Every time someone calls with a role in mind, he takes it. Even if he already has a hundred things lined up for the day, he jumps the gun and accepts them without asking a single question. To be honest, I'm worried about him. It's like he's trying to accomplish something with no possible end in sight. I don't even know who he is anymore."

"Is that why you're angry with me, Yashiro-san?"

He fell silent and turned to look at her.

Kyoko smiled sadly, with her eyes on her lap. "I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"Kyoko-chan, I—"

"We've arrived, Yashiro-san."

Needing to escape, Kyoko opened the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk. She looked up and felt a huge wave of nostalgia at the building before her. The large letters almost felt like a welcome home sign. Unfortunately, a "welcome home" was probably not what she was going to receive. They were parked right in front of the building so Kyoko's hope to make a discreet return to the company was obviously not an option. She didn't want to see any more familiar faces along the way.

_"I should have been smart and got back on that plane…"_

But the limo driver had already gotten out of the car and removed her suitcase from the trunk. Grasping the metal handle, she turned back around and saw a distraught Yashiro standing at the open door. Kyoko smiled gently and murmured, "I'm sorry, Yashiro-san. I didn't mean to put pressure on you."

He shook his head and stepped before her. "Kyoko-chan, I always wanted you to come back. I'm not mad at you."

"But?" she prompted softly.

"I'm his friend too," he whispered. "When you left, he was…" Yashiro sighed. "You saw."

Feeling her heart break all over again, Kyoko looked down at her feet. This was what she was afraid of. She could hear it in his voice. He wanted to know why. He wanted to hear her reason for leaving, why she walked out, why she had left him without saying anything. But she wasn't ready to disclose that reason. Even now, she found it hard to accept herself.

So in a quiet voice, she murmured, "The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt him, Yashiro-san. I spent these last three years trying to find some solution that I didn't see, find some way that I didn't figure out at the time, but I can't. Leaving was the best option I had."

"Why?"

"Because it would have been unfair to him if I stayed."

Yashiro's eyes widened as he watched her amber eyes glisten. He wanted to be mad. He wanted to blame it all on her, to say that she was the culprit and Ren was the victim. But she was so tormented. She was so hurt that the only thing he could do was hug her.

She gasped quietly in surprise at his embrace, but before she could say anything, she heard him murmur, "I am glad you're home, Kyoko-chan."

"Yashiro-san…"

"And regardless of what it looks like, he is too."

Kyoko smiled weakly and closed her tear-filled eyes. It wasn't true. He was lying to her. But she didn't care. Even if it would only come to hurt her later, even if it would cause her more pain in the long run, she wanted to believe that he wanted to see her, that he wanted her here, that even though he hated her more than anyone in this world, a tiny part of him still cared about her too.

* * *

BEEEEEP!

Ren thumped his head back against the seat and eased his clenched hand off of the horn. Why was he hurting? Why was he feeling so much regret? Why was he thinking about her, the look upon her face, the pain in her eyes, and how he was the one who had put it there? She was the one who left. She was the one who never bothered to call him, to write him a letter, or even a text. She was the one who shut him out.

He grinded his teeth together and opened his eyes. Ren would have done anything to feel hatred for her. If he could somehow look at her with only contempt and revulsion, he would. But he could still remember the beautiful color of her cheeks, the sweet smell of her perfume, the gentle smile upon her lips, and suddenly his feelings came roaring back. Freed from their locks, they now tortured him with longing and desire for the woman who caused him so much pain these last three years.

Ren never wanted to see her again. He never expected to see her again, but now that she was here, he could feel the want—no, the NEED—to go to her. But he would be damned to give into it. She just shocked him. Her return home surprised him too much that he was jostled. These were just remnants of his past feelings for her, nothing more. He was sure of it.

He didn't love her. He stopped loving her. He didn't want her…not anymore.

Breathing in deeply, Ren looked out the window and realized he was parked alongside a street downtown. He had driven so far and when he glanced at the clock on the dashboard, he realized he was going to be late for work. She hadn't been back for 30 minutes yet and he was already a wreck. This couldn't have come at a worse time. He was preparing for an upcoming movie and he needed to focus. He didn't need this distraction.

Ren leaned his head back against the seat and looked up at the roof of his car. He couldn't help the fact that she had returned. It wasn't like he could put her on a plane himself. But now that she was here, he had to take greater caution. He needed to avoid seeing her at all costs. The less they saw each other, the better. And once she goes back, his life will return to normal. Just the way he wanted it…right?

_Knock, knock!_

Turning to the passenger window, Ren eyes grew in alarm as he saw Ryoko leaning down with a smile upon her face. But what was worse was that he felt a tiny twinge of disappointment at seeing her when he thought of—

He slammed his palm on the button to roll down the window and with what he hoped was a relaxed smile, asked, "Ryoko, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to grab a bite to eat when I saw a familiar car on the road. You're not following me, are you?"

Ren chuckled. "Are you filming nearby?"

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "A couple of more scenes and we're going to head to the other set."

"That's good. Your movie must be coming together well then."

Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Ren?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're tense."

"I'm fine."

She sighed. Then with a tip of her head at the lock, she said, "Let me in."

Confused, he unlocked the door and watched her climb into the passenger seat. "I thought you were going to get lunch."

"That can wait," Ryoko answered as she rolled up the window. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"Ryoko, I—"

"Enough with evading, Ren! This may come as a surprise to you, but I actually care about how you feel and when you're upset, it makes me upset. So can you please spare me the excuses and just tell me what's going on in that guarded head of yours?"

"Ryoko, I appreciate your concern, but this is something I don't want to talk about."

"You mean to me?"

He raised his head and looked her in the eyes. "To anyone."

She fought the urge to recoil. The look on his face was too dark, too intense, almost inhuman. Even though it was the first time she got a real reaction from him, Ryoko was too afraid to push the matter. So in a small voice, she murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make this about me."

Ren wanted to kick himself. This was the second time today he dropped his guard and Ryoko didn't deserve this. She had been nothing but considerate of him from the start and for him to take this out on her was unfair. So placing a hand over hers, he said, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm just not having such a great day today."

Feeling her stomach do a hundred somersaults at his touch, she raised her head and asked, "Can I do anything to make it better?"

"You already did," he replied gently.

Her heart couldn't have beat any faster. He could probably hear how fast it was going, but she didn't care. The only thing she could focus on was the look in his eyes. This was the Ren she knew. This was the Ren she fell for and to know that she was the one who put that look on his face made her so happy she thought she might cry. It took her three years to get here, and for the first time, it was like he finally saw her. So feeling bolder, she shifted in the seat and leaned over to—

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Ren reached into his jacket and pulled out the vibrating phone. One look at the caller I.D brought everything back like a floodgate, but biting down on his frustration, he turned back to Ryoko with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. I—"

"Say no more," she answered with a tight smile. She was already feeling embarrassed enough for trying; an excuse from him was going to send her over the edge. But still, at least this was progress and she was satisfied…for now. So opening the car door, she planted one foot outside and said, "Call me if you need anything."

He nodded. "Thank you, Ryoko."

Ren watched her walk in the opposite direction and turn a corner before he flipped his cell open and pressed redial. Gripping the phone next to his ear until his fingers were numb, he breathed in deeply and heard the line click on the other end.

"Where are you?"

"Downtown."

"That far?"

"I was too busy trying to calm down that I didn't really think about where I was going."

"Ahh, so I take it you weren't happy to see her."

"You could have warned me," Ren growled, unable to hold the placid tone.

"You're right," President Lory conceded, "I could have. But I trusted that you would have been able to put your personal feelings aside and pick her up like I asked you to."

"This isn't some role where I can switch off my emotions."

"You've been doing so for the last few years. What makes today any different?"

Ren squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to yell at the top of his lungs, he wanted to tear everything apart, and most importantly, he just wanted this to stop. He had always been tolerant of the president's meddling. Never once did he voice a complaint, but this was one step too far.

"I don't want to do this," he said in a low voice. "Whatever you are planning, leave me out of it. If you think this is somehow going to help me, it isn't. If you think this is somehow going to make things better, it won't. I don't want anything to do with her."

"Ren, when did I say I called her back for you?"

He bit down on his tongue. The retort that would have followed would have cost him his job; he was sure of it.

But President Lory was a smart man, so unperturbed, he said, "Ren, I never thought I had to say this, but my decisions do not revolve around you."

Stung, Ren murmured, "I didn't mean it like that, sir."

"Good. Then I hope you can accept it when I say I called her back for a specific task."

"What kind of task?"

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with this?"

Ren glared, but in a steady voice, he murmured, "I was wrong."

"Well, it's not the first time," the president pointed out, "but if you must know, I asked her to lead the acting team in Hongo."

"The novice group?"

"Exactly. They need a coach to show them the ropes and I feel she is the perfect fit."

"Why? There are plenty of good actors and actresses here."

"True," President Lory replied, "but she has a knack for getting under people's skin and these girls will probably be more responsive to her than anyone else. Besides, with her new experience in America, I'm sure she'll do a great job."

That, Ren already knew. No matter how hard he tried to keep her out of his life, word of her success overseas easily reached his ears. He knew she was doing well, so well that she didn't even bother to come back.

Frustrated again, he wrapped a firm hand around his steering wheel and said, "So, how long do you need her to coach them?"

"Well, we just discussed the terms in my office and she said she'll stay here for as long as it takes. After that, I suppose she'll leave whenever she deems fit."

Ren's eyes darkened. So she already had plans to leave. Good. This was good. At least knowing that in a few weeks there would an ocean between the two again will make her stay bearable. He just had to avoid her for a little while longer and after that she'll be gone—for good. That was good. "Sounds like she'll be busy."

"Well, you can tell me how it goes because you'll be accompanying her."

Ren hit the roof. "WHY? WHY WOULD I EVEN CONSIDER DOING THAT?"

"I didn't ask you to consider, I told you to do it," President Lory said calmly.

"Why are you doing this?" Ren asked with his forehead pressed against the steering wheel. "Isn't this enough? Haven't you had your fun?"

"Ren, I assure you, I can find plenty of other forms of entertainment. Your torment doesn't even crack my top ten."

"Then why me?"

"Because it's the logical choice."

"That's not an answer."

"If you think about it, it is."

Ren's jaw tightened. "I have other appointments. I don't have time to babysit her."

"I'm sure Yashiro will be able to move things around. And knowing you, you're not going to let this get in the way of your own work."

Ren breathed deeply out through his nose, stemming the fury rising up in his throat. President Lory was his boss, so he had to follow orders. But if he thought he was going to do this with a smile, he had another thing coming. He'll do as he asked, but how he'll do it was up to his own discretion.

He wanted him to work with her? Fine. But by the end of this week, Ren was going to make certain that she'll take the next flight back to America. By the time he was through with her, she was going to wish she never decided to come back.


	4. Their First Day

Greetings everyone! So I know this sort of "Ren" is a little different than what I'm used to writing, but I'm glad that you all are quite accepting of him. I usually love to write fluffies, but I think this sort of situation will make the story more interesting. Anyway, thank you for your support and I hope you like this next installment. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko smiled as she flipped the omelet onto the other side. With her phone held between her cheek and the crook of her shoulder, she said into the receiver, "I'll stop by at eight…no, I should be done by then…right…right…yes…of course…I miss you too. Tell Taisho I said hi….okay…okay, I'll see you tonight. Goodbye, Okami-san." Then with one last smile, she hung up the phone and placed it upon the counter.

"I take it the conversation went well," Kanae pointed out as she walked into the kitchen and pulled out a metal stool at the island. "Going to eat dinner there?"

She nodded. "Thank you for telling to me to call, Moko-san."

"I shouldn't have had to tell you," she said while picking up a bowl of miso soup. "Honestly, I can't believe you were worried."

"I haven't called them in three years. I assumed they were mad."

Kanae rolled her eyes and put the barely-touched bowl down. "Can you please stop assuming that everyone is mad? If they're mad, I'm sure they'll let you know."

Turning off the stove and placing the hot omelet onto a plate, Kyoko took a seat beside Kanae and leaned her head against her shoulder. "Thank you, Moko-san."

"For what?"

"For staying my best friend."

"I never said that," Kanae retorted as she speared her eggs. "Who said we were friends?"

Kyoko smiled. No matter what she said, Kanae couldn't dampen her mood. She was the only good thing that happened ever since she had returned home. After running into her at LME and crying what felt like endless rivers of tears, Kyoko was finally able to get a word in and tell her just exactly how much she missed her. Of course Kanae was less than pleased with the spectacle she had created, but Kyoko couldn't keep quiet. She had missed her friend so much.

In these past three years, Kanae had clearly matured as well. She no longer had a cascade of black locks down her back, but a modern cut with side bangs elegantly swept off to the side. She was a little more tanned than usual and her figure seemed a little slimmer, or rather it was the clothes she wore that perfectly showed off her figure. Either way, Kanae had grown into a woman too. After the many successful roles she had played, she now had enough money to live the life she had always dreamt of, starting with the penthouse she was currently letting Kyoko stay in now.

It had two massive bathrooms that had both a shower and tub, two bedrooms with a view of the city, a modernized kitchen that seemed to come straight out of a home magazine, and a spacious living room that was perfect to host a party. Of course, her very large family of siblings would have demanded to move in too if not for Kanae making sure to remodel their place so that they would leave her and her precious privacy alone. So now living off of her own income, she was now a woman with a very stable career, the owner of a beautiful home, and had a reputation as one of the best actresses of LME.

Kyoko couldn't have been prouder of her.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go?" Kanae asked as she brought her dishes to the sink "Hongo isn't that close by."

"President Lory said he scheduled a ride to pick me up in about 10 minutes, so it's okay. What about you? Are you going to drive yourself down to LME?"

"Yeah, I need my car to get to across town for a meeting later today."

"With the drama director right?"

Kanae nodded. "We're going to go over the character I'm playing. It might take a while so just grab the extra set of keys on the coffee table and let yourself in. I won't be home until later tonight."

"You want me to bring you home some dinner?"

"It's alright. I'll just grab something along the way."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Moko-san, you're not dieting still, are you?"

"You think I keep myself in shape by eating junk food?"

"Moko-san, you look fine!"

"Fine?" Kanae repeated. "I want to look good!"

Kyoko cracked a smile as she realized Kanae and Carrie were very much alike. Maybe that was why she had bonded with her so quickly in New York. She reminded her so much of her own best friend back home.

"You know for someone who has a new job today, you don't look the slight bit nervous," Kanae pointed out as she leaned onto her arms upon the counter. "Aren't you worried as to what they'll have in store for you?"

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, scooping an omelet filled fork into her mouth.

"These are brand new girls who just got accepted into LME. They're probably brimming with confidence and an over-inflated ego. I wouldn't be surprised if they chased you out of there."

"No way," Kyoko mumbled. "It can't be that bad."

Kanae smirked as she made her way around the counter. "Fine, don't believe me. Just don't come home crying when they give you a hard time," she called over her shoulder as her retreating footsteps walked down the hall.

Feeling her stomach twist uncomfortably now, Kyoko placed her half-eaten omelet into the sink and drank a glass of water. She had no idea what she was thinking in accepting this job. Since when did she ever lead anyone let alone an entire group? She couldn't help but feel she was way in over her head. But at the same time, President Lory must have had some faith in her or else he wouldn't have asked her to do this. And to quit before even trying seemed really pathetic.

"Maybe they'll be nice," she murmured as she placed the glass onto the dish rack.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Kyoko turned around and wiped her hands upon the towel. Making a grab for her phone, she held the device to her face and read that the number was blocked. "Must be the ride."

She flipped her cell open and held the receiver to her ear. "Hel—?"

"One minute."

_Click!_

She stared at the phone with unblinking eyes. There was no way. It couldn't be. But that voice, she knew that voice…

Then without giving it a second thought, she ran into the living room, snatched up her purse and keys, jumped into her heels, and hollered over her shoulder, "See you later, Moko-san!"

"What? I thought you said—!"

But Kyoko had already slammed the front door shut. She skipped the elevator and ran down the flights of stairs, her heart beating a mile a minute and it wasn't from the running. There was no reason for her to be so frantic, but she couldn't help it. Just hearing his voice sent her back to three years ago, when he could get her to come to him without lifting a finger.

She should be scared out of her mind. She should be skeptical as to why he was here. But she didn't want to dwell on that. Kyoko just wanted to focus on the small glimmer of hope that maybe they could be okay again, that maybe things could go back to normal.

When she reached the front door of the lobby, her hand paused on the handle. She was so nervous. What should she say? What she should do? Kyoko just didn't know how to act around him anymore.

She shook her head. "It'll be fine. It'll be fine," she chanted. Breathing in deeply, Kyoko swung the door open and greeted the cool morning air. And there, parked right in front was the silver car. Her feet moved on their own accord. Step by step, they walked closer and closer until she was standing by the passenger door. With a quiet whir, the window rolled down.

"I said one minute."

"I'm sorry. I—"

"Get in."

She heard the clip in his tone. She should have rejected the offer, but she found herself reaching for the handle instead. And as soon as she shut the car door, dread filled the air. This was such a bad idea. Hesitantly, she stole a glance in his direction and noticed he was wearing a crisp white dress shirt over a pair of dark slacks. Most men wouldn't be able to pull off a look that was so incomplete, but he could. And he might have looked even more charming if not for the hard expression in his face. So swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, she asked, "W-w-why are you here?"

He buckled his seatbelt.

"Did President Lory ask you to do this?"

Ren's eyes narrowed.

Lowering her head in shame, she mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'll tell him—"

"Tell him what? That I complained? Are you so eager to put me in a bad light?"

"What? No, I would never—!"

He loudly started the ignition and made a sharp swerve out of the parking circle.

Feeling the heat rush straight to her cheeks, Kyoko turned to face him with flaming eyes. "Stop the car."

He made another turn.

"Stop the car. I'll find my own way to Hongo."

He switched to another lane.

"Stop the—!"

"Enough."

"No! I don't need you to drive me!"

"You think I'm doing this for you?"

Kyoko stopped.

Ren smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. This is only a job."

"President Lory should have never asked you to do this. And you're obviously very upset, so if you just drop me off, I can—"

"Since when do you give a damn about how I feel?"

The fight instantly drained out of her. She would rather be angry. She would rather be irritated. She would rather feel anything but this sense of helplessness.

Ren kept his eyes locked on the red light and chuckled. "What? Too soon?"

"I don't want to be in this car with you," she whispered.

The air rushed out of his lungs. But tightening his steely grip around the wheel, he answered in a firm voice, "That makes two of us."

Unable to say anything else, Kyoko turned to the window. Even though she tried to focus all of her attention on remembering the way to the agency, her mind kept drifting back to him. She deserved his cruelty. She deserved his hate, but did she deserve this torture? Her nerves were frayed and the tiniest noise made her flinch.

Kyoko felt as if she was tip-toeing on thin ice. She couldn't possibly do this every day she went to work. At this rate, she would have nothing left. After the airport fiasco, her plan was to avoid seeing him as much as possible, but with this new predicament, she would be forced to endure his coldness on a daily basis. Kyoko couldn't do this. She couldn't face him over and over again. He was going to tear her completely apart and there would be no way she would be able to pick up the pieces once he was done with her.

It was hard enough to see him. It was hard enough to have to look at him and think about what they were before and how much she missed it—how much she missed _him_. But this…this was too much, even for her.

The car came to a fluid stop. He cut the ignition, pulled out the keys, and opened the door without a word. Kyoko unbuckled her seat belt and followed suit, keeping her eyes on anything but him. They approached the largest building on the block with no sign or name. It looked more like a place for business than acting.

Two glass doors automatically slid open at their approach, revealing a fancy looking lobby decked with marbled flooring and a large crystal chandelier hanging from above. There was a girl sitting at the front desk, but someone must have told her that Kyoko would be coming because she let them pass without a word, except for an ultra bright smile flashed in his direction.

Kyoko made her way down the main hall, more than hyperaware of him walking close behind. Biting down on the inside of her cheek to refrain from turning around, she found the room President Lory told her to go to: Room 167. She had expected Ren to leave once she opened the door, but to her surprise, he walked through the archway with her.

Upon entering, Kyoko saw a group of about thirty girls all dressed in sweat pants, tank tops, and sneakers. Most were on the sidelines watching two girls in the center of the room. One of the girls had a round-like face with short brown hair that barely touched her shoulders. She was sitting on one of the two chairs that were facing each other while the other was standing on her feet. With straight red hair and icy green eyes, she towered over the other and stared the other girl down like a hawk.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME? YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?"

The girl that was seated stared up at her with tears running down her face. She looked so scared. "I n-n-never wanted to w-w-win," she stammered as she sunk lower into her seat.

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER BE BETTER THAN ME! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SECOND BEST AND THERE ISN'T A SINGLE THING YOU CAN DO—!"

"Stop!"

Kyoko met the ice cold gaze of every single girl who turned to look at her as if she was some kind of intruder. The red-head straightened up and faced Kyoko with dark eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

Walking to the center of the room, Kyoko placed a gentle hand on the crying girl's shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Hey! I asked you a question! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Slowly, Kyoko rose to her full height and looked her straight in the eyes. "Mogami Kyoko. You?"

"Tanaka Sayuri. Care to tell us why you interrupted our scene?"

"Scene?" Kyoko looked down at the terrified girl and raised an eyebrow.

Sayuri let out a laugh. "Oh my god, did you actually think we were bullying her? Go ahead, Mimi. Tell her. Was I bullying you?"

The shy girl shook her head, her eyes glued to her lap.

"See? I guess American actresses don't know as much as they thought. Yes, President Lory told us you'd be coming," she continued at Kyoko's cocked eyebrow. "Although, I have to say I thought you'd look more like…an actress."

"And what does that entail exactly?" she asked.

"You're looking at her."

Kyoko's eyes widened. Well, this girl definitely had fire—she'll give her that. Her personality may not be as charming, but fire was exactly what she needed to go far in this industry. Unfortunately, she pointed it at the wrong target. There could only be one leader here and Kyoko had no plans on giving up the title just yet. If she was going to successfully lead this group, she needed to break her. So hooking her purse over the arm of the chair, Kyoko took a step back and said, "This is a scene, you say?"

"Obviously," Sayuri scoffed.

"Hmm, and you are supposed to be interrogating—Mimi-san, is it?"

The young girl nodded as she stood up and tipped her head in greeting. "I'm playing the mistress of Tanaka-san's character's husband."

"Which explains the yelling," Kyoko said as she turned to Sayuri.

"I like to give it my all when acting. Although, I'm surprised I have to tell you that considering you're an actress of such _high_ caliber."

On cue, the other girls giggled in unison, causing Sayuri's confident smirk to grow even wider.

Kyoko smiled back in return. "Well Tanaka-san, I have to say your all is quite…loud."

A small chuckle sounded from behind.

Kyoko turned. He was standing by the open door with his arms crossed over his chest, unmoving and at the greatest of ease. She knew that laugh and she was certain it came from his lips. When the gasps started to erupt from behind, Kyoko figured they did too.

"OH MY GOD! TSURUGA REN!"

"IT'S TSURUGA-REN!"

The other girls swarmed around him with squeals of delight and amazement as he warmly greeted them all with a smile. Ignoring the pang she felt at seeing him be so kind to the others, Kyoko turned back around and was surprised to see Sayuri in the same place. From the look of her eyes, she was obviously a big fan of him as well, but her professionalism kept her still.

_"Hmm, not bad."_

But her good opinion of Sayuri instantly turned sour when she said, "Look, I don't care what President Lory thinks. If you think you can waltz in here and take over just like that, you have another thing coming. Even with Tsuruga Ren's help, we'll never accept you. Just take your fancy clothes and American talents back to wherever you came from because we certainly don't need it."

"On the contrary," Kyoko said as she took a step towards her. "You might."

"Excuse me?" And in an instant, Sayuri's eyes turned so bright green that flames may have spit from their depths. "You think you can do better than me?" she whispered.

The giggles quieted down. Kyoko could feel all eyes boring into her back, one pair distinct from the others. She had no idea why this was so important her, why she felt the need to prove herself. But she found herself smiling and saying, "I can."

Sayuri's eyes gleamed. "Prove it."

Finding the script next to the chair, Kyoko casually picked it up and placed the packet of paper into her opponent's hand. "If I can make you cry by the end of this scene, I win."

"Win what? The position as our leader?"

Kyoko shook her head with a smile. "No, just the pure satisfaction of putting you in your place."


	5. Proving Her Worth

Hello everyone! Thank you again for the reviews and the constructive criticism. It really helps to polish up my writing and I greatly appreciate the input. This chapter was a little harder for me to write, but I hope you enjoy it just the same. Thanks again! Please Read and Review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko turned around and saw Mimi poking her head through the open door. She flashed a smile and nodded for her to come in.

Quietly closing the door behind her, Mimi made her way over to the velvet couch and sat down with her hands clasped together in her lap. Kyoko's smile softened at the sight of her. She had never met a girl who was so timid in her life. And when she continued to sit in silence, Kyoko finally asked, "Is something wrong, Mimi-san?"

She bit on her lower lip and murmured, "I just want to apologize on the girls' behalf, Mogami-san. I know they look tough, but they're usually not so hard-headed."

Kyoko highly doubted that. Considering the way Mimi acted during their supposed rehearsal, it didn't take much for her to see that Mimi's shyness was greatly taken advantage of. After having been picked on for most of her childhood, Kyoko couldn't help but feel a great deal of warmth for the sweet girl who could barely look her straight in the eye. Mimi was as sweet as they come. So wanting to alleviate her obvious discomfort, Kyoko smiled and said, "Mimi-san, you don't have to apologize for them. I'm not insulted."

"You're not?"

Kyoko shook her head. "It's part of the territory when someone new jumps in."

"Wow," Mimi murmured with awe, "you're so mature, Mogami-san."

Feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, Kyoko countered with a sheepish smile, "I wouldn't say that. I guess once you've been in the industry long enough, you meet a lot of…tough people along the way and get better at dealing with them."

"Tanaka-san usually isn't so difficult. She's just really passionate and likes to push people to their limit."

"Is that why you all listen to her?"

Mimi nodded. "Tanaka-san takes acting very seriously."

"And what about you, Mimi-san? Do you enjoy acting?"

Then for the first time since Kyoko arrived, Mimi's face glowed with delight. Her hazel eyes glistened as she looked down at her lap and said, "I can't imagine doing anything else. Getting into LME has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. But…"

"But…? Kyoko prompted.

She let out a deep sigh. "I've seen the way the other girls act and I feel like I'm doing something wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I can remember my lines really well and I know where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to do, but when I watch the others act, it almost feels like they _are_ the character. They lose themselves in the role and I've never done that before. Have you?"

"It takes practice, Mimi-san," Kyoko reassured with a gentle smile. "It doesn't come naturally."

"But I feel so behind. At this rate, how could I ever compete with them?"

Putting the script down upon the coffee table, Kyoko turned to her and said, "Well, when I first started out, I thought that knowing the lines was all it took to be a great actress too. As long as you delivered them correctly, you got the job done. But one day, I met someone who completely proved me wrong."

"How?" Mimi asked, transfixed on the words coming out of Kyoko's mouth.

"This person taught me that acting isn't about portraying a character. It's about bringing that character to life, giving that character a medium to express themselves, and enjoying that character until you almost feel incomplete without them."

"How do you do that?"

"Well, as important as it is to know the lines of the script, you also want to think about the character's background, what kind of setting they grew up in, how they would talk, how they would move, what their values are, what they like and sometimes even what they don't like. Think of the script as a guideline and try to build the image of your character from what it tells you."

"But how do you know if the character you come up with is right?"

Kyoko smiled. "I'll give you a hint. The best kinds of actors are the ones who don't act."

"I don't get it," Mimi replied bluntly.

Laughing, she shook her head and said, "It's okay. With experience, you will."

"Did this person teach you all of this too, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Is he important to you?"

Kyoko blinked in surprise. "What makes you think this is a man?" she asked.

Mimi smiled. "I can tell. Your face says it all."

Bringing both of her hands to her face, she could feel the heat emanating from her skin. If she was to look in the mirror, Kyoko would bet her cheeks would be flushed red. Thinking about him seemed to be doing that a lot apparently.

And Mimi's smile only grew wider as she asked, "Is it Tsur—?"

"Time's up."

They both turned and saw a petite blond girl standing by the open door. She glared in Kyoko's direction and said, "Your 15 minutes are up."

Nodding once, Kyoko rose to her feet and picked up the script from off the table. The girl gave an irritated flick of her hair and walked out first, leaving Kyoko to follow suit. But just as she was about to walk out the door, Kyoko suddenly turned around and smiled weakly. "Let's keep this a secret between us, okay Mimi-san?"

And even though this wasn't much of a secret since the answer was beyond clear, Mimi nodded anyway and smiled back. "Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

Ren briskly walked down the hall, digging his clenched hands into the pockets of his trouser. He couldn't believe how easily affected he was. Just because she remembered his advice didn't mean things changed. Just because the way she spoke about him made his heart beat a little faster didn't make things better. It didn't change the fact that he could barely stay in the same room with her. It didn't change the fact that every time he looked at her, he wanted to turn away and forget everything that happened. It didn't change anything.

But Ren still didn't have the courage to face her. If she were to look at him now, she would think all was forgiven when it was so far from it. She would have this sense of false hope that he cared about her again. And worst of all, so would he.

So when he walked back inside, he ignored the fact that she was standing in the middle of the room. He ignored the trembling of his heart every time he heard her speak. He ignored the way his eyes kept straying to her as if they wanted to look at nothing else. Ren tried to ignore them all.

"Alright, we'll begin now," Sayuri said with a loud clap of her hands.

Even though Ren stayed on the outskirts of the room, watching the two girls take their seats in the center, he had to admit that he was also curious as to how this will turn out. After studying for so long in America, did her talents really improve as much as President Lory said? Is she really better than before? And just when he couldn't stand to ignore her any longer, he finally raised his head to look at her and felt a small, unfamiliar smile at the corner of his lips.

There was no doubt about it. Her face said it all.

"The rules are simple," Sayuri began in a raised voice, "you play the wife and I the mistress. By the end of the scene, if you are a tiny bit of the great actress you claim to be, I should be crying. If not…well, I guess that speaks for itself doesn't it?"

Kyoko nodded and held out a hand. "Good luck."

Sayuri smirked, taking her hand in a fierce grip. "Don't need it."

"On the count of three," another one of the girls said as she stepped forward with a raised hand.

"ONE!"

"TWO!"

"THREE!"

With one deep breath, Sayuri's eyes closed for a split second before she let her shoulders droop. She sunk lower into her seat like a mistress in shame and kept her eyes firmly on Kyoko's. Then with a voice barely above a whisper, she asked, "You wanted to see me?"

Lazily leaning back, the young actress crossed her slender legs with one ankle angled at Sayuri. The smile upon her lips was easy and relaxed, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Her arm was draped over the head of the wooden chair and her eyes were slightly narrowed with amusement. Then in a voice that dripped of honey, she murmured, "You don't have to look so scared."

Every movement in the room stopped. The mood shifted so drastically that every girl could feel the hairs on the back of their necks rise. Her face was angelic, but her voice…it practically slithered through their veins.

Sayuri blinked a few times in alarm before she remembered to look down at her lap and mumble, "You know…don't you?"

"That you've been screwing my husband? Yes, I know."

Sayuri could feel her gaze burning into the back of her head, as if trying to force her to look up at her. And without any will of her own, she finally raised her eyes and stared into her fiery flames. Traces of "Mogami Kyoko" were gone. This was someone else entirely. This was her lover's wife.

"Did you really think you can hide this forever?" she asked softly. "Did you think I would never find out?"

"I never tried to hide it from you."

"You're a bigger fool than I thought," she laughed.

"I love him," Sayuri choked out as the air grew uncomfortably thick with tension.

"Love? Is that what you think this is?"

"He does love me!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes! He's always loved me!"

"Then why is he ashamed of you?"

Sayuri fell silent.

Eyes glowing, she uncrossed her slender legs and leaned forward onto her knees. "If he loves you as much as you claim, why does he keep you locked in a closet until he's ready to play?"

"That's not true," Sayuri whispered.

"But isn't it? Tell me, has he ever once taken you out in public? Or do you both just sneak out to the nearest hotel and hide behind closed doors?"

"He wants our relationship private."

She laughed and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "You don't sound so convinced."

"He's cheating on you! He chose me because he's unhappy with you! You're the one who's a fool!"

Then just like that, the atmosphere dropped. Sayuri had to clamp her mouth shut to prevent herself from taking the words back. Just one look at her face was enough for Sayuri to know that she started something she couldn't go back from. Even though those were the lines in the script, even though Sayuri carried them out properly, it was as if _she_ was running the show. The pace, the mood, the tension, it was all under her control.

So when the actress fluidly got to her feet and walked behind her, the ominous feeling that something terrible was going to happen wouldn't leave her. Sayuri could barely stop her body from flinching as she felt her hand curl around her shoulder.

"You're right," she murmured. "I am a fool for staying with him. I should have left him long ago. But you, my dear, are the bigger fool here."

"W-w-why? He chose me."

She laughed and leaned into her ear. "You think being his mistress means you're better than me?"

"He wants to be with me," Sayuri whispered, holding back the shiver that threatened to run down her spine.

"Then tell me, how does it feel to know that every night he leaves you in that hotel room, he comes crawling back to me?"

Sayuri's eyes widened.

"If he loves you," she continued "then why doesn't he leave me? If he wants you so deeply, why not replace me?"

Her head moved back and forth in a restless like motion. Sayuri knew it was her line, that she had to say it was because she was better, the better lover, and the better woman, but the words were lodged in her throat. She couldn't make a single sound. She couldn't say she was better at all.

Slowly making her way around the chair, the actress gripped each arm rest and leaned down until they were staring face to face. Gone were the traces of amusement. Her amber eyes flickered with satisfaction, but worst of all, pity. "You think you're better than me," she whispered, running a fingertips down Sayuri's cheek. "You think you can win."

"I never wanted to w-w-win."

Her eyes gleamed. "Of course you don't," she murmured, "because you will never be better than me. You will always be second best and there isn't a single thing you can do about it. You're the woman he chooses when he can't have the woman he wants."

It was the same words she had spoken, the same lines she uttered, but the impact cut so much deeper. The silent tears that fell from her eyes burned a trail down her cheeks, but they were not tears of a mistress. They were her own. _She_ had coerced these tears from her. _She_ succeeded in making Sayuri feel small and insignificant, weak and pathetic. She didn't cry because it was in the script. She cried because she felt defeated. She cried because she couldn't hold back. And what was worse, she cried because Kyoko proved that she was better.

Sayuri didn't lose to her lover's wife. She lost to the actress herself.

So when Kyoko finally shifted back, Sayuri could only stare as her lips curved into a small, victorious smile and whispered, "You lose."

"And c-c-cut!"

Sayuri watched in amazement as the angry haze in Kyoko's eyes suddenly lifted. The actress blinked once before straightening up to her usual poise and looked about the room. The other girls were rooted to the spot. They stared at Kyoko was if she had suddenly sprouted eight arms and legs. Only Mimi seemed to be unfazed as she ran up to Kyoko and gave her a bright winning smile. "You did it!"

Kyoko smiled in reply, but then turned back to look at Sayuri instead.

Wiping her moist cheeks with the back of her hand, Sayuri stood up and cleared her throat. "Well, you were…alright."

"You weren't so bad yourself."

Sayuri glared. "Don't flatter me."

"I wouldn't say anything I don't mean," she answered.

Sayuri flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked the other way. "Well, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't good."

"That's true."

Sayuri's eyes narrowed. She hated how she couldn't hate this girl. She was making it more difficult by the minute. So knowing defeat when it faced her, she stuck out a hand asked, "Are you still interested in being here?"

Surprised by the gesture, it took Kyoko a couple blinks before she smiled and grasped her hand. "Of course."

"We start at eight."

"I know."

"Wear more comfortable clothes. This isn't a runway."

"I like what I wear."

"Are you always this stubborn?"

"Depends, are you always this bossy?"

Sayuri scoffed with smirk. "You're in way over your head, you know."

"We'll see."

And with a sniff, Sayuri and her crew walked out of the room. Mimi stayed behind to give Kyoko another hug and gush about her favorite moments in the scene. But Kyoko couldn't focus on her words because the instant she looked up, she saw him standing by the open door.

His back was to her at first, but then for some unexplained reason he suddenly turned his head to the side. As soon as their eyes met, Kyoko felt her heart fall still within her chest. Mimi's voice had all but disappeared and the only thing she could see was him.

She looked into his eyes and for the first time saw something she hadn't seen since she got home. He wasn't smiling and his eyes weren't twinkling with the amusement she remembered, but he was looking at her with a softness she had longed for ever since she left.

He wasn't going to tell her he was proud of her. He wasn't going to smile in a way that made her feel like she was melting on her feet. He wasn't going to reach out a hand and gently pat her on the head like the many times he had done before. He wasn't going to do anything.

But if she knew all that, why did she feel so miserable?

If she knew all that, why did her heart break in half when he turned away?

If she knew all that, why did her vision blur when the door finally slammed shut?


	6. Unable to Stop

Greetings everyone! First off, I want to thank you for your patience. I know you have a ton of questions, but I promise to answer them in time. So I hope you enjoy the early update. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

_ Ren refused to believe it was true. As he gripped the phone to his ear, he refused to give up. Even when his call didn't go through for the hundredth time, he couldn't stop calling. He called again and again, praying that she would pick up this time, that it was all a misunderstanding, that President Lory was wrong._

"I'm sorry. The number you have reached—"

_ "Something must have happened to her," Ren mumbled as he redialed her number again. "That has to be it."_

_ "Ren…"_

_ "She lost her phone! That's why she isn't picking up. That has to be it. She wouldn't do this. She would never do this."_

_ "Ren, that's enough."_

_ "No! There has to be an explanation! She wouldn't leave without saying anything! Especially not today! Not when she—"_

_ Ren fell silent as he felt President Lory's hand upon his shoulder. _

"I'm sorry. The number you have reached is currently unavailable. Please hang up and try your call again."

_His arm dropped to the side. The open phone slowly slipped out of his grasp and landed with a thud onto the carpet. "Why?" he whispered._

_ "Sit down, Ren."_

_ "Why would she do this?"_

_ "Ren—"_

_ "Is it because of me? Did I scare her?"_

_ "Ren, you didn't—"_

_ "THEN WHY WOULD SHE LEAVE?" he thundered as he threw off the president's hand and spun around, eyes ablaze. "WHY WOULD SHE LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING ME ANYTHING?"_

_ President Lory looked at him in silence, watching his young pupil's expression flicker with anger, confusion, and hurt. He remained still as he watched him blink away the unshed tears and close his eyes as a desperate attempt to wake up from what he hoped to be a nightmare. He provided no words of comfort as Ren fell into the chair behind him and dropped his head into his hands, shoulders trembling. _

_ President Lory only moved around the coffee table in his office and sat down upon his seat across from him, waiting for Ren's breathing to slow. _

_ And after a few long minutes of painful silence, he finally murmured, "Did she come here?" _

_ "An hour ago."_

_ "What did she say?"_

_ "That she needed my help."_

_ "She asked you to help her leave."_

_ "She did."_

_ Ren raised his head. His eyes weren't ridden with fury for what the president had done. They didn't reveal shock or betrayal. They were worse. They were empty. His expression was now as barren as his heart. "Why did you help her?"_

_ "Because I've never seen her so distraught."_

_ Ren pressed his clenched hands to his eyes, watching the colors burst like slow-cracking fireworks. Breathing in deeply, he asked, "Where did you send her?"_

_ "To America."_

_ "For how long?"_

_ "For however long she needs."_

_ "Did she say anything else?"_

_ "Ren…"_

_ "Did she SAY anything else?"_

_ President Lory met his hooded eyes. He stared at him for quite a while before he let out an exhale and leaned forward onto his knees. "I'm sorry."_

_ "That's it? That's all she—?"_

_ All words escaped him. His eyes were riveted on President Lory's extended hand. Any hope he held onto, any shred of faith he had left vanished the instant his gaze fell upon it. He couldn't feel anything as he watched the pink, tear-drop gem shimmer in the light as it dangled from its silver chain._

_ "She wanted to tell you…I'm sorry."_

Ren opened his eyes. Turning his head to the side, he watched his phone buzz upon the mattress in silence. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position and reached for the vibrating device.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Did I wake you?"

"No, I was up."

"Aww, I should have called you earlier then."

"Haven't you ever heard of the saying: never wake a beast from his slumber?"

Ryoko giggled. "You're no beast, Ren."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I think I know you well enough to make that judgment."

"I could surprise you."

"Oh? So the great Tsuruga Ren has a dark side?"

"Would that deter you?"

"Of course not," Ryoko insisted. "Everyone has a wild side."

"I don't think that's the same thing."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you trying to scare me, Ren? Because let me tell you now, it's not going to work." When he didn't reply, Ryoko laughed and said, "Alright, alright, you had your fun. Now you promised you would see me today and I expect that promise fulfilled."

"I know."

"Good," she said with a smile. "Then I'll meet you at around 11?"

"Eleven."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Have a good day at work, Ren!"

"You too."

The line clicked on the other end. The phone screen had faded to black. But Ren still didn't move. He sat within his dark room, still and silent with his hands clenched at his sides, his shoulders taut with tension, and his eyes locked on the bedside drawer.

* * *

"I can't tell you how happy I am you stopped by, Mogami-san. It was really good to see you."

Kyoko smiled and gave him another hug as she stepped out of his office. "You too, Sawara-san. You really haven't changed at all."

He chuckled and ran a hand through his coarse, black hair. "Really? Not even a little?"

"Not even a little," she answered with a laugh.

"Well, I can't say the same about you. I didn't even recognize you until you said hello."

"Sounds like you forgot all about me."

Sawara's eyes softened as he gripped the top of her arms. "Not even for a second," he murmured. "I'm very glad you're back, Mogami-san. LME just isn't the same without you."

Feeling her eyes water, Kyoko shook her head and said, "You sure know how to welcome someone back, Sawara-san. I'll come by to see you again soon."

"Soon," he repeated with a stern expression before giving her one last hug.

After one more goodbye and making her way down the familiar hallway, Kyoko stepped into the descending elevator and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. She didn't think visiting the talent agency would be so emotional, but the second she saw the talent manager, nostalgia threatened to pull her under once again. He asked her about New York, told her about the changes here, and all in all, made her feel as if she had never left in the first place. Even though President Lory was the one who had vouched for her spot in the acting industry, it was Sawara who gave her the chance and support from the start.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Reaching into her yellow purse, Kyoko dug for her phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Kyoko! I have another idea for the script!"

She sighed. "Sayuri-san, isn't this supposed to be your day off? Why are you thinking about work?"

"Last one, I swear! And it's a really good one."

Kyoko shook her head with a smile as she stepped out of the elevator. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Okay, so you know how the reveal scene of the husband cheating is supposed to be really flashy and dramatic? Well I was thinking, how about we make it a little more subtle?"

"How so?"

"Let's have the wife find clues along the way and little by little, she puts all the pieces together. And then BAM! Climax!"

"Hmm, it will certainly build the suspense."

"Exactly! And she'll seem that much cooler when she confronts the mistress and her husband."

"Well, Sayuri-san, I think it's a great idea."

"Would you expect any less?" she asked with a laugh. "So we'll do the necessary changes tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Great! I'll see you then!"

Kyoko smiled as she placed her cell back into her bag. She had only worked with the girls for a week and they were already calling her nonstop about acting ideas, advice, and even inviting her to hang out with them. After the first day, it was like they finally learned to accept her and when she got the chance to watch them in action, Kyoko realized they were all extremely talented as well. Each girl had her own strength and weakness, but together, they made quite the formidable team.

Impressing the girls obviously did wonders on their relationship and it didn't take long before they started calling her by her first name without any honorifics at all. Even Mimi seemed to be more comfortable around the girls too.

But as Kyoko's thoughts trailed back to that first day, her cheery mood suddenly faded as she remembered the one person she wanted to impress most of all. After his abrupt exit, Kyoko never saw him again. He didn't come to drive her to the agency the next morning or the mornings after. She didn't run into him at LME either. A part of her was relieved, but a part of her was also strangely disappointed.

Kyoko didn't understand why. She hated being around him. She hated how he made her feel. And most of all, she hated how every time she looked at his face, her heart cracked a tiny bit more. But, not seeing him made her feel worse. Kyoko practically felt empty.

"What's wrong with me?" she groaned.

"That depends, where do you want to start?"

Kyoko raised her head and grinned. "Moko-san!"

"Don't tell me the girls are picking on you again," she said as she walked up with a hand on her hip. "You really need to start putting your foot down."

"No, no the girls are fine. They're wonderful, actually."

"Then what's wrong?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. Hey Moko-san, why are you here anyway? I thought you were filming today."

Kanae gave her a suspicious glare before replying, "The director pushed it back to two o'clock so I was going to meet up with my agent before going on set."

"Does that mean we get to grab lunch?" Kyoko gasped excitedly.

"Mo! I ate lunch with you yesterday."

"There's no rule that says you can eat lunch with your best friend too much, Moko-san."

"Well there is one that says you can eat too much."

"Moko-san! Please, please, PLEASE?"

"You should quit while you're ahead," a voice hollered from behind. "I've been barking up that tree long before you have."

Both of them turned and saw a beaming young man approach them in a pair of dark jeans and a black fitted T-shirt. He chuckled and easily wrapped an arm around Kanae's shoulder as he stood beside her. "She's a tough one to crack, this one."

Kyoko laughed, holding a trembling hand over her mouth as she caught the horrified look on her friend's face.

His smile grew broader when he met Kyoko's gaze and said, "Aren't you going to introduce us, Kanae?"

"Kenji, Kyoko. Kyoko, Kenji. Now will you please let me go?" she snapped, rolling her shoulders irritably.

"Kyoko," he repeated with a thoughtful expression. "I know that name…Are you perhaps Mogami Kyoko?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Have we met?"

Kenji chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, I would remember if we had," he replied with a bright smile. "I just recently watched one of your old dramas, Box R. You were quite the villain and not what I would have expected at all now that I finally see you in person."

Blushing, Kyoko asked, "Why's that?"

"You look way too sweet to play someone so mean."

"That's why it's called acting," Kanae retorted.

He laughed and gave her another one-arm embrace. "Aww, don't worry, Kanae. I think you're sweet too."

Disgusted, Kanae dipped under his arm and dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, Moko-san! What about lunch?"

"I'll see you at home," she said with a wave over her shoulder as she sauntered away. "And you stay away from me, Kenji."

He barked in laughter, his eyes crinkling with bright amusement. Kyoko tried to suppress the giggles, but to no avail. No one had ever gotten under Kanae's skin like that before. He certainly knew how to push every single one of her buttons.

Kenji wiped the corner of his eye with a finger and said, "How in the world are you two best friends?"

"Perfectly," Kyoko answered with a smile. "She's amazing."

"Well, I suppose you both have the yin and yang thing going on."

She laughed. "And what makes you think I'm not difficult as well?"

"Someone as pretty as you can't possibly be difficult."

"You don't even know me, Kenji-san," Kyoko countered.

"True, you're absolutely right," he said as he stepped forward. "So how about we get to know each other then?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're obviously looking for a lunch-buddy and I'm suddenly in the mood to each lunch. What do you say we kill two birds with one stone?"

"I don't know if I should go eat with a stranger."

Kenji grinned. "Then please allow me to formally introduce myself. Hello, my name is Watanabe Kenji. I am a twenty four year old Capricorn who enjoys long walks along the beach and has a trusty old dog named Rusty. I am an actor of LME. I love eating sushi. I absolutely dislike anything purple, and am currently making the biggest fool of myself in front of one of the most beautiful actresses I have ever met."

"Well, I wouldn't say the biggest fool," Kyoko laughed.

"Then what would you say?" Kenji asked with a wink.

She smiled. "I'd say you are quite the charmer."

"Charming enough for you to agree to each lunch with me?"

Kyoko couldn't believe it. She thought New York guys were forward, but Kenji would probably give them a good run for their money. She had never met anyone who was not only so confident, but also downright witty. Talking to him was certainly putting her in a better mood and he really was a lot of fun. So with a giggle, Kyoko replied, "I'd like that."

Kenji did a mock little dance that caused her smile to grow even wider before he held out his arm. "My lady," he said with a dramatic bow.

She laughed and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow as he led her out of the back exit. "So where are we going, Kenji-san?"

"I know this great little bakery just down the street. Their pastries are not only delicious, but also very light. Perfect for dainty women like you."

Kyoko smirked. "Sounds like you've taken quite your share of women there."

He grimaced and shook his head. "Way to go, Kenji," he mumbled under his breath.

She laughed. "I'd still love to see it, Kenji-san."

He gave her a friendly squeeze of the hand before stepping out onto the busy street. It was rush hour so there were plenty of cars zooming down the roads and people making their way towards their favorite lunch spot. Kenji hailed a taxi cab and held the door open for her. Once he climbed in and the cab started to move, he turned to Kyoko and asked, "So how come I've never seen you around LME before? I highly doubt it was because we never ran into each other."

"I've been studying in New York for the past few years."

"Wow, New York? I haven't even left the country yet, let alone the continent. What's it like over there?"

"A lot like this," Kyoko said as she pointed out the window. "But maybe a little louder."

"So what brings you back to Japan?"

"President Lory wanted me to help out with a new acting group down in Hongo."

"The president asked you himself?" Kenji asked with a raised eyebrow. "Wow, you must be really close to him."

"We have an interesting relationship to say the least."

"Yeah, he's an interesting one."

Kyoko laughed. "Did you have an audition with him too?"

"I could barely believe he was the head of LME the first time I saw him. I thought it was a joke."

She smiled, remembering the first time she performed for him too. It seemed so long ago, but in reality it was just a few years prior.

Kenji gave a shake of his head and chuckled. "Although, no one can say he doesn't know what he's doing."

She nodded. "I'm sure he has a lot more experience than we think."

After driving for a few more minutes, the taxi cab pulled to the side and parked in front of a quaint wooden building. Embellished with flowers and butterflies, the name "Patisserie" shimmered in the yellow sun as a warm invitation to all passer-bys. Kyoko nearly swooned at the sight of cute white table sets, vases of water lilies, a water fountain placed in front of the door, and even a statue of a fairy beside the counter. It was every girl's dream come true.

"Like it?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I love it."

"What'd I tell you?" Kenji said with a grin. "Come on. Wait until you see inside."

With one hand barely touching her back, he led her through the door that chimed as they entered. The smell of sugar, chocolate, and flowers washed over them like a soothing wave. Kyoko's eyes widened in delight as she almost ran up to the display case and pressed her hands onto the glass.

Cakes, fruit tarts, cookies, macarons, and every pastry known to man were sitting a mere two feet away from Kyoko's grasp. Her mouth watered at the delectable sights. She should feel guilty at even thinking about eating all of them, but Kyoko was way too excited to care.

"See anything you like?"

"Are you kidding? I want to eat them all. Moko-san is going to be so disappointed in me."

"A little indulgence never hurts," he reassured with a wink. "So what do you want?"

"Oh no, Kenji-san, I can purchase them myself."

"Kyoko, I invited you out here. The least I can do is pay."

"That wasn't part of the deal," she countered.

"But a gentleman always pays."

Kyoko shook her head. "Kenji-san, I can't let you do that. It's really—"

"How about as a token of our friendship?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Just think of it as my way of thanking you for being my friend."

Kyoko laughed. "Fine, I'll get you something and you get me something. Deal?"

Kenji narrowed his eyes before grinning and replying, "You drive a hard bargain, Kyoko. But I accept."

Smiling, she leaned down and gazed at the colorful desserts. She could barely choose what row to look at, let alone which one she wanted. Thoughts of eating a proper lunch flew out the window. Her sweet tooth mattered more. But just as she was about to ask him what he was considering, a female voice suddenly called from behind, "Kenji!"

Kyoko turned around and saw him wave at a brunette making her way through the store.

"I didn't know you would be here," she said before looking at Kyoko and smiling. "Who's your friend?"

"Ryoko, meet Mogami Kyoko," Kenji introduced proudly. "She's an actress from LME too."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, shaking Kyoko's hand. "I'm Yamane Ryoko."

"Please, the pleasure is mine," Kyoko said with a slight bow of her head.

"So why are you here, Ryoko? I thought you were filming your movie," Kenji asked.

"A girl's got to eat, you know" she teased. "Besides, I'm here with someone."

"Who—?"

And at that moment, the front bell chimed as the door swung open. Kenji broke out into a grin. "Well hey! Look who it is! How's it going—? Ren?" He furrowed his eyebrows and blinked in confusion. "Hey, what's wrong? Is everything—?"

He turned his head around and felt his eyes widen in alarm. Kyoko stood frozen beside him, appearing as if all of the blood had been drained from her body. Her hands trembled at her sides and her knees shook like leaves. More than concerned, Kenji took a step towards her and was about to reach out a hand when he suddenly heard:

"Don't touch her."


	7. His Broken Walls

Hi everyone! I really enjoyed reading all your reviews. It's great to see all the different theories you guys are having and your excitement. I hope I don't disappoint you! Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko didn't know what to do. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but the look upon his face rendered her speechless. He stood in front of the door like an impenetrable fortress, unmoving and unyielding. His gaze bore into hers as if he was trying to pull out her every breath. Kyoko stared back helplessly, unable to tear her eyes away from his powerful presence.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest when he began to move forward. No one in the store made a sound, either because they were too star-struck or the mood wouldn't allow for it. For Kyoko, it was the latter. The need to shrink away was so strong that her body began to shake as he closed the short distance between them.

Kenji couldn't even get a word out. He had never seen this side of Ren before and he had no idea what caused this. To see his usually level-headed friend so tense and angry shocked him down to his core. But holding down on his anxiety, Kenji laughed and said, "Hey, what's going on, Ren? You alright?"

Ren stood in front of both of them, but his eyes were focused on her. The hard lines of his face grew deeper as he murmured, "You came here together?"

"Ren, why are you so—?" Kenji stopped when he felt a slender hand upon his arm. He turned and saw Kyoko staring back at Ren with an expression that was practically as hard as his.

And in a voice that was surprisingly steady, she answered, "We did."

His eyes darkened. "Come outside."

"Why?"

He didn't reply. He just turned around and made his way towards the exit. Kyoko felt her irritation grow at his rudeness, but what she hated most of all was that she wanted to follow. Her feet moved on their own accord before she could even think of refusing.

When he stepped outside of the bakery, he left the door ajar and turned a corner. Kyoko faltered at the entrance, but taking in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and closed the door behind her, not before catching a glimpse of Kenji's and Ryoko's faces, both of which did not look pleased.

However, every thought she had disappeared the instant her gaze fell upon his broad back. He led her away from the bakery to a secluded back alley. Goosebumps rose up and down her arm when he finally turned to face her. Even when frustrated, he still made her heart beat in overtime. The power that emanated from his body practically caused the air around him to vibrate. Kyoko knew that in a battle against him, she would never win. But she would be damned to surrender before trying.

So when his jaw tightened, Kyoko armed herself and said, "Who do you think you are?"

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"You think you can just come and order me around like some servant?"

"You listened, didn't you?"

"I only came out here to tell you what a jerk you are and that I'm done playing your games," Kyoko said as she whipped her head around.

"Games?"

She stopped.

"What kind of games would that be?" he asked.

"Do you enjoy tormenting me?"

Ren laughed darkly and shook his head. "You're quite full of yourself if you think I would waste my time doing that."

"Then why call me out here?" Kyoko asked as she faced him. "Why not just leave me alone?"

"You think I want to see you?" he grounded out. "You think I'm glad you're here? Every day you're not around, I count that as a blessing. But everywhere I turn, you're there. Every time I think the coast is clear, you show up. I said it before and I'll say it again. I never wanted you to come back. So why don't you do us both a favor and stay out of my life?"

It felt as if he zapped the fight right from out of her. Kyoko looked down at her feet to hide the tears that pooled at the corner of her eyes. She couldn't show weakness. She wouldn't show vulnerability. But his words slashed into her like knives, digging deeper into her tender heart until the turmoil strangled her for breath.

Ren stared at her frozen stance for what felt like a million years before he found the will to finally turn away. The bitter taste in his mouth wouldn't fade, but he couldn't take the words back. His heart wouldn't let him. But just as he was about to leave, he stopped right in his tracks when he heard her murmur, "What happened to you?"

His heart stopped.

"You can hate me. You can hurt me. You can say whatever you want to me…but how did you become like this?" Kyoko whispered, swallowing the thick knot in her throat. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

"Do you want to know?"

She raised her head.

"You want to know who I am?"

His body was half-turned towards her so she couldn't get a good look at his face, but she could see how much his hands were trembling, how tense his shoulders were. But before she could make a sound, he suddenly turned to face her. A chill ran down her spine as his black eyes met hers. In two long strides, he stood in front of her, forcing her to stumble back and hitting the concrete wall.

"I'm someone who finally woke up," he murmured, the darkness in his eyes deepening. "Someone who finally stopped wishing for things to be better, someone who finally stopped wondering what I could have done differently."

"I didn't—"

He slammed one hand against the wall beside her head. "You want to who I am? Then I suggest you take a good long look because the man you see is exactly the man you created."

Kyoko could hear the blood pounding in her ears. This was the closest they had ever been, but she had never felt so far. The desire to reach out a hand and smooth out the lines upon his face flowed through her veins. She knew it was her fault. She knew she made him like this, but even Kyoko could tell that no matter what she did, he was never going to forgive her.

His chest moved up and down in steady movements. His fingers dug into the wall until he could feel pain shoot up his arm. But he continued to stare at her in silence, watching the emotions flicker across her face. Her eyes gazed unblinkingly at him, like golden rays that made him feel as if he was put on the spot. She looked at him as if he was the only person who existed, as if she could only see him.

Little by little, his heartbeats slowed. His eyes ran over the contours of her face, the smoothness of her skin, the blush upon her cheeks, and the beautiful color of her lips. And when he looked into her eyes, Ren felt a burst of warmth straight through his body. It had been so long since he felt like this. It had been so long since she was standing so close, just within his reach.

He wanted to push her away. He wanted her to turn from him so that he wouldn't have to feel so resentful, so guilty. But as he stood in front of her, he felt the black haze within his mind slowly lessen. For the first time, his heart wasn't consumed with hurt. He could see her body trembled and how weakly she was breathing. She could barely keep herself standing.

Then, without thinking, he reached out a hand and touched her temple.

Kyoko felt the heat surge across her skin. If she wasn't standing against the wall, she was sure she would have collapsed. But she didn't dare move. She was afraid he would stop because as soon as he touched her, she felt it. She could feel it in the air around them. This was the man she knew. This was the man who could make her feel like she was brighter than the sun. This was the man she had missed all these years.

Instinctively, she leaned into his touch and felt his fingers press deeper. The overwhelming need to be closer clouded her head until it was all she could think about. This was the moment. This was her chance.

But the instant she straightened up, it was as if the flame blew out. He blinked once and the heat was gone. Quickly retracting his hand, he took a couple of steps back until the distance before was restored. Ren clenched his hands together until he was sure he was drawing blood.

Forcing himself to remember everything she put him through, his eyes hardened once again as he turned his back to her. It wasn't hard for him to feel the anger he was used to. It wasn't hard for him to embrace the pain that had tormented him for so long. It wasn't hard for him to cruelly say over his shoulder, "If you don't like the man you see, then take my advice and go back to where you belong."

Biting down on his tongue, Ren walked away, unaware that he had left her even more broken than before.

* * *

Ryoko chewed on her bottom lip as she looked out the window. They had been driving for almost ten minutes now and he still hadn't said a word to her. His eyes were focused on the road, but tension was rolling off of his body in waves. Yet, Ryoko was upset too.

She couldn't forget the look upon his face when he had walked in. She saw how he couldn't stop staring at her, as if _she_ was the only girl in the store. And what was worse, she saw the flash in his eyes when he spotted Kenji standing next to her. There was no doubt in her mind why he took that step forward, why he had called her outside.

Most people thought of Ren's level-headed personality as attractive and inspiring in a man, but they didn't understand how painful it was when it felt like he didn't see anyone, as if no one mattered. But regardless of all that, Ryoko continued to try. She wanted to affect him like how he affected her. To be able to get under his skin and to fully understand the makings of his heart were what drove her to try harder and be more persistent in her chase. And for a while, it felt like she was making progress…until she came along.

It was clear to the actress that Mogami Kyoko was the reason behind his barrier and cold indifference. Kyoko was different from everyone else and what was worse, she was different from her. Without even trying, she got Ren to lose his composure. Without saying a word, she stripped away his unwavering control until he acted solely on impulse. Ryoko was fine with the idea that no one could affect Ren, but to meet the one woman who could was tying her into knots. She felt defensive and weak. She felt as if she was threatened on her own territory and Ryoko wasn't having it.

So breathing in deeply, she turned her head and looked at him. "Ren."

His eyes darted to her face before turning back to the road.

She pressed her lips together and asked, "Who is she?"

"Who?"

"You know who."

Ren shook his head. "I don't want talk about this right now."

"When do you ever, Ren?" Ryoko said exasperatedly. "When do you ever want to talk about yourself? Every time I ask, you make every excuse in the book to avoid it! I've known you for three years and I don't know a single thing about you! Do you know how frustrating that is?"

Ryoko ran both hands through her hair and murmured, "At first, I thought it was just your personality, that it was nothing but a quirk. I wouldn't have minded if that was the case, Ren. But back at the bakery, you finally let your guard down. You showed your true self and I don't understand why you can't do that with me."

The car slowed down at a stoplight. Ryoko kept her eyes on her hands that were clasped together. She was too scared to look at him. This was the first time she had ever raised her voice and she had no idea what he was going to do. And just when she couldn't stand the silence anymore, he suddenly said,

"I like spending time with you, Ryoko. I like how easy it is to be around you and the fun we have together. But right now you're asking me for something I can't give you."

"Why not?" she whispered.

Ren gripped the steering wheel with both hands and pushed his foot against the pedal. The quiet acceleration of the car filled the tense space, but his words could still be heard over the engine. "I'm not going to show weakness."

"But for her you will?"

"It's not by choice."

"What is she to you, Ren?"

His steely grip tightened until his skin stretched pale thin over his knuckles. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Someone I'm trying to forget."

"Trying?"

Ren didn't answer as pulled into the underground garage of LME. He parked the car next to the elevators and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Without a word, he opened the door and stepped out. Needing to put distance between them, Ren tried to walk away, but he didn't get far before he felt her hand around his wrist.

He didn't turn around. He didn't want to see the look on her face. He didn't want to do this anymore.

"Just tell me one thing," she asked in a quiet voice. "And I promise I won't ask anymore."

Ren didn't reply.

Ryoko kept her eyes on his back as she whispered with a trembling heart, "Do you love her?"

Gently pulling his hand from her grasp, Ren stepped away and closed his eyes. "It shouldn't matter to you."

"Then tell me no."

Ren shook his head.

"Why can't you tell me no?"

"What would you think if I did?"

She blinked in alarm. "What?"

Turning to face her, Ren looked into her confused eyes and said, "If I told you no, would it change things between us?"

Ryoko didn't answer. She knew what he meant. She could read it in his face. He was trying to prevent her from jumping to conclusions, to tell her that not loving another girl did not change the way he felt about her. Ryoko had always known that Ren didn't love her as much as she loved him. She had always known that her feelings for him ran much deeper than his feelings for her. But she didn't care. She was fine with the delusion. She was fine with fooling herself.

As long as they spent time together, as long as he looked at her, as long as he answered her, Ryoko believed that Ren could come to love her. In time, he would see that she could be the one for him, that she could fill the emptiness he felt. Even now, Ryoko still believed it. She had no doubt in her mind that she could be everything he needed.

"You're right," Ryoko admitted softly. "It would change everything. It would change how I feel about you and more importantly, how I feel about us."

"Ryoko—"

"I know how you feel, Ren. I know you don't love me, but I also know that you've been aware of how I felt since the beginning."

Ren couldn't deny it. It was all true. He saw it in her eyes the first day they met. When she continued to call him and schedule personal time together, he knew that she wanted something more. The way she smiled at him and the way she looked at him were all obvious signs that she wanted something he couldn't give. But Ren never denied her.

Somewhere deep within his heart, he had hoped that Ryoko could change him, that maybe she could be the solution he had been searching for. He spent more time with her, hoping that with time she could heal his scars. But nothing changed. The closer she got, the greater the distance between them.

No matter how sweet her intentions, no matter how tender she was, no matter how much she cared, Ren's heart couldn't be moved. And yet, he never had the courage to tell her. He didn't want to hurt her. So he believed that as long as their relationship stayed stagnant, Ren could play along.

But after today, after everything that had happened, after seeing _her_ again, he realized that faking wasn't an option anymore. As much as he cared about Ryoko, she wasn't the one he wanted. She wasn't the one he thought about. She wasn't the one his heart longed for.

He should have done this long ago. He should have told her long ago.

Cupping her cheek within his hand, Ren murmured, "I've been unfair to you."

Ryoko shook her head desperately. "Don't," she pleaded, "please don't."

"Ryoko, I can't lie to you anymore."

"Can you honestly tell me you don't have any feelings for me at all?" she cried. "That after all this time, you don't see me even a little differently?"

"You and I both know that you want more than that."

Ryoko rushed into his chest and wrapped her arms around his body. "I'm not asking for more. I just want this. This is enough."

"I can't do this."

"Is it because of her?" she asked, looking up into his eyes as her eyes swam with tears. "Is it because you love her?"

"No, it's not her."

"Then why? Why this? Why now?"

"Because the longer I lie to you, the more I'll hurt you and you're the last person I ever want to do that to, Ryoko."

She shook her head. "But you're hurting me now."

Slowly, Ren stepped out of her embrace until they were no longer touching. It killed him to see the pain in her eyes. It would have been so easy for him to console her, to take her into his arms and run his hands through her hair. But he couldn't. He couldn't be what she wanted him to be.

So with a heavy heart, Ren looked into her eyes and murmured, "I'm sorry, Ryoko."

When he walked towards the elevator, he heard her cry. He heard the sobs ripping out of her chest and it tore him apart. But his feet kept on walking. He didn't turn around, not once. He kept his gaze ahead and continued to move forward.

It was only when he finally stepped into the elevator. It was only when the silver doors closed shut and he pressed his forehead against the cool metal. It was only when he was sure he was alone that Ren finally broke down, wondering exactly what she had asked him:

_ "What happened to you?"_


	8. Remembering

Hi everyone! Sorry for the later than usual update. Things have been a little crazy and hectic. XD But thank you for waiting and I hope you enjoy this next installment. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Did you see last night's episode?"

"Oh my god, YES! I can't believe he cheated on her!"

"What'd I tell you? Once a cheater, always a cheater."

"But in the next episode's preview, they were kissing again."

"Probably a flashback or something. There's no way she would ever—"

"Hey."

The two girls looked up and saw a tall man wearing dark sunglasses, black jeans, and a T-shirt leaning on the counter. Clearing their throat, they said simultaneously, "Welcome to LME. How can we help you?"

"Can you answer a question for me?"

"Sure," the girl on the right replied with a friendly smile. "What would you like to know?"

"Is Mogami Kyoko here?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, the same girl turned to her friend and scratched her head. "I don't think so…She didn't come in today."

"But she's here? In Japan?"

She nodded slowly. "Is there something you need from her?"

"Do you know where she is right now?"

"I'm sorry, we don't," her friend answered. "But she'll probably stop by tomorrow, so you can come back—"

"What about where she's staying?"

The girls narrowed their eyes with suspicion. "I'm sorry, but that's classified information and we can't disclose that to some stranger."

"What if I said I'm not some stranger?"

"Then who are you?"

Reaching a hand to his frames, he pulled it down the bridge of his nose until he met their wide-eyed gazed with a smile.

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE—!"

He placed a finger to his lips and glanced over his shoulder. Thankfully only a couple of people turned to look at them with curious expressions before quickly going their way. He turned back to the girls and smirked at their awed expressions. Teenagers were so easily star-struck.

"What are you doing here?" one of them whispered.

"Are you Mogami-san's—?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. But you pretty ladies think you can help a guy out?"

Nodding with excitement, they replied in a happy voice, "Of course we can!"

He grinned. "Awesome."

* * *

"Yes, he's resting up right now, sir," Yashiro insisted into the speaker as he leaned against the wall. "Right…yes…I'll tell him, sir…of course…well, he certainly appreciates your concern…right, tomorrow morning…yes…okay…until then. Goodbye sir."

He placed the phone (and his gloves) back into the inside pocket of his jacket and sighed heavily. Yashiro turned his head to the side and looked at the open door, listening to the sounds coming from the room. The guy was still at it. Squaring his stiff shoulders, he pushed off of the hard wall and walked back inside.

Ren was pounding the punching bag with steady hits, each thump matching his rapid heartbeat. Beads of sweat were dripping down his bare chest and face. If it weren't for the bandages, his knuckles would have been swollen red by now. But Ren didn't care. He needed this.

"Ren."

…

Yashiro stepped forward with a stern expression. "Ren."

He darted a quick glance at his friend.

"That was the director. He was asking how you were doing."

"What'd you,"—THUMP!—"tell him?"

"I said you were resting," Yashiro replied with a glare.

Ren leaned back and gave the bag a good kick, knocking it to its side.

Yashiro walked forward until he was standing right behind him. "He gave you the day off because he was worried about your health, Ren. This hardly counts as resting."

"I'm fine," he panted as he bounced back and forth.

Yashiro shook his head. No, Ren was certainly not fine. In fact, he seemed much worse than before. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he wasn't sleeping well and he was so unfocused on set that people couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the actor. When the director told him to take a day off to get his strength back, Ren immediately used the time to hit the boxing room, pounding the life out of the many unlucky punching bags that were thrown his way.

He took up the sport of boxing a couple of years ago and at the time, Yashiro thought it was a good outlet for him to let loose those emotions he was so stubborn about bottling. But seeing the way he was now only made Yashiro wonder if he was trying to tire himself out for good. He wouldn't be surprised if Ren was going to drop dead on his feet. He felt tired just from looking at him.

"Ren, don't you think it's time to give it a rest?"

"Five minutes."

"You said that 40 minutes ago!"

"Go,"—THUMP!—"first. I'll catch up,"—THUMP, THUMP!—"with you later."

"When is later? Another two hours?"

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP, THUMP!

Turning around, Yashiro walked to the metal door, removed the metal hook, and slammed it shut with a thud. Ren looked up for a split second before going back to his routine. Beyond angry now, Yashiro walked straight up to him and stood in front of the punching bag.

"Yashiro, what are you doing?"

"I'm not leaving here until we talk."

"Talk about what?" Ren asked, moving to the other side.

Matching his movements, Yashiro backed up against the bag and crossed his arms over his chest. "Talk about you."

"I told you I was fine," Ren bit out.

Yashiro laughed, but his eyes were narrowed with irritation. "Who do you think you're fooling?"

"Yashiro, you need to stop."

"Or you'll what?"

Ren let out a deep breath. Yashiro was unyielding at times like these so it was quicker to just throw in the towel than actually fight him. So relaxing his stance, he murmured, "Alright, if there's something you need to ask me, then go ahead and ask."

"Very well," he replied with a curt nod, "what happened between you and Kyoko-chan three years ago?"

Ren froze.

"Well?"

"Why would you bring that up?" he murmured.

"Because Ryoko-san called me a few days prior and asked me about it."

He looked at Yashiro with wide eyes. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing much, granted I don't know much either."

Ren went back to the punching bag and shook his head. "It doesn't matter what happened."

"Of course it matters!"

"Why?" he demanded in a rising voice. "Why does it matter what happened?"

"Look at you!" Yashiro hollered back. "Look at what you're doing! You're a wreck, Ren! How long are you going to act like you don't care? How long are you going to pretend that she didn't hurt you?"

"OF COURSE SHE HURT ME!"

Yashiro fell silent as he watched his friend shake with fury.

Ren pressed his forehead against the heavy bag and dropped his arms to his sides. "Of course she hurt me," he whispered.

He did it. Yashiro finally knocked his walls down, but why did he feel so guilty? He didn't want to bring up bad memories. He didn't want to make Ren relive the pain again. But he couldn't stomach watching him suffer alone anymore. Ren was quickly falling apart and Yashiro would be damned to just stand by and watch. So with softened eyes, he placed a hand upon his shoulder and murmured, "I know it's none of my business. I know that we have an employer-employee relationship, but at the end of the day I still consider us as friends, Ren."

"We are friends."

"Then talk to me."

Ren didn't reply. Yashiro watched his back rise and fall with each breath, the silence weighing down heavily upon his shoulders. And when a few minutes finally passed, he let out a sigh. It was useless. Ren hadn't said a word in three years, what made Yashiro think he was going to say anything now? With a shake of his head, he stepped away from his friend and made his way towards the metal door in defeat. But just as soon as he placed a hand on the handle, he suddenly heard,

"I was a fool."

Yashiro turned around and saw Ren standing with one fist against the punching bag. His eyes were looking down at the floor, but they looked as if they were seeing something else. His jaw tightened when he said, "I never should have said anything."

"Said what?"

"I never should have told her I loved her."

Yashiro could feel his eyes widen in shock. It didn't make sense. The Ren he knew would have never revealed that secret, let alone to the one girl it was about. But the grim look on his face said it was true. "How—How—?"

Ren walked away from the punching bag and leaned back until the back of his head hit the concrete wall. "I don't know what came over me," he said in a low voice. "I never planned for it to happen. But when I saw her standing there, waiting by my car in that white dress…it felt like everything came rushing in at once. I remember driving her home that night and I couldn't stop staring at her."

His shoulders suddenly went limp when he murmured, "I reached for her hand without thinking. I remember how perfect it felt in my grasp, how small it was compared to mine. But when I expected her to pull away, she didn't. Instead she…"

Ren's lips curved into a smile. "She laced her fingers through mine."

For the first time in three years, Yashiro finally caught a glimpse of the old friend he knew. It was his smile, the kind of smile that lit up the entire room, the kind of smile that would catch anyone's attention, and the kind of smile only she could elicit.

"I was floored," he continued in the same soft tone. "I couldn't believe it until I saw the blush upon her cheeks. But I didn't let go. I just held onto her hand the whole way home. We didn't say a word to each other, but at the same time, we didn't have to. When we finally reached her place, she didn't move. She just kept her eyes locked on our hands."

"Is that when you…?"

He laughed gently and closed his heavy eyes. "I spoke the words so easily, like I had never been nervous in the first place. She was stunned, in disbelief, and confused, but not afraid. No, she wasn't afraid. And when I was brave enough to lean in closer, she did the same. I was so happy I could barely—"

Ren sucked in a breath and moved over to the boxing ring in the middle of the room. Gripping the white thick ropes with his bandaged hands, he stared at the other side, eyes already gazing at something so far away. "I didn't want to push her," he continued. "I told her that she didn't have to say anything, that I didn't need a response from her, but she just shook her head and squeezed my hand."

He could feel his heart beat faster as the memory of her holding his hand flooded his head. He could still feel the fire that ignited all of his nerves when she showed him the tenderest smile. Never in a million years did he expect this to happen. Never did he think that there was even the slightest chance that she might return his feelings. But the rapid beating of his heart made that moment all too real.

"When my voice returned, I finally bade her good night. I remember walking her to her door, our hands still entwined." He chuckled and leaned his forehead onto the ropes. "I even had the courage to ask her out to dinner and she agreed. At the time, everything felt perfect…until I failed to realize that it was just me."

With a heavy heart, Yashiro watched the bleakness in his friend's eyes return as he turned around. The hurt was obvious on his face, but the one emotion that stood out most was betrayal. Ren clenched his hands together and murmured, "When I got the call from President Lory, I didn't believe it. Even when I hadn't seen her in weeks, there was still some part of me that truly believed she would come back."

He shook his head with a sardonic smile. "You want to know why I never said anything, Yashiro? It was because I was too ashamed. I was so blinded by my feelings that I didn't see it coming. But the worst feeling of all was knowing I deluded myself into believing she may have cared about me too."

Yashiro didn't know what to say. He wanted to help, but there were no words that could make that kind of pain go away. It ran too deep. But what unsettled him the most was that the story didn't make sense. Yashiro had talked to her before. He saw the look in her eyes. And if there was one thing he was sure of above all else was the fact that she did care about Ren.

But that didn't explain why she left. If everything Ren said was true, then she would have never just gone without say anything, especially to him. She respected Ren far too much to do that. She would never purposefully cause him pain and she wouldn't have the heart to fool him with some charade. Kyoko just wasn't the type.

Yashiro's frown grew deeper. But at the same time, he also knew that Kyoko would never admit her feelings for Ren either. Even though he was sure that the young actress felt something for his friend, for her to come to terms with her emotions was as baffling as her reason for leaving. And even if she finally did manage to accept the complicated workings of her heart, why would she go to America? Why did she leave the man she claimed to love?

He was going around in circles, each solution sounding more hopeless than the last. And it was at that moment that Yashiro finally understood. He finally caught a glimpse at the turmoil Ren must have suffered all these years. The constant fight back and forth, the desire to want to believe in her, but the frustration of not being able to, and then the ultimate defeat in having to accept the fact that maybe she left because she didn't—

Refusing to finish the thought, he looked up and saw Ren sitting at the edge of the ring. At first glance, anyone would say he was certainly an impressive man. He exuded force, epitomized power, and carried himself with an insurmountable amount of strength that could easily bring any challenger to their knees. But no one realized it was all a distraction. No one realized that he didn't use it as a weapon. It was a defense mechanism, not to beat others but to protect himself.

Ren may be an adult, but Yashiro had always thought of him as a little brother in some sense. He always felt this need to look out for his well-being so when he sat down beside him, he knew he didn't have to say anything. He just had to sit there, giving his friend the support he needed, whether Ren knew it or not.

"I'm sorry," Ren murmured softly.

"For what?"

"For being unreasonable these last few years."

Yashiro shook his head. "I wouldn't say unreasonable. Hard-headed, maybe sometimes even a little childish, but never unreasonable."

Smiling weakly, Ren turned his head to the side and saw Yashiro smiling back. "I'm childish?"

"Like you didn't know."

He let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.

Gripping him firmly by the shoulder, Yashiro murmured in a quiet voice, "Thank you…for telling me."

"You weren't going to stop until I did."

"True, but thank you anyway."

Ren flashed a small smile before looking down at his tense hands. Talking about what happened didn't make him feel better. It didn't alleviate the bitterness he could feel clutching at his heart. And yet, it didn't make him feel worse either.

But ever since he saw her with Kenji, he felt as if his head was going to snap in half. It killed him to see her standing next to him, to see her smile and laugh, to see Kenji look at her with the same gaze he once showed her. Ren didn't want anything to do with her, but he didn't want to see her in the arms of another man either.

Groaning internally, Ren dropped his head into his hands. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he pick a side and stick with it? Why did seeing her again send him into such a frenzy? Why can't he just forget about her?

"Ren?" Yashiro called, concern etched in his face. "You alright?"

He moved his head in a restless-like motion. "I want to forget her," he whispered. "I don't want to think about how she makes me feel, but the harder I try, the more I…" Ren exhaled deeply. "She should have never come back."

"But she did," Yashiro replied in a gentle voice. "And maybe…she came back for a reason."

He laughed darkly. "Don't even go there, Yashiro."

"Why not?"

"Because you and I both know that's not true."

"Do you?" he murmured.

Ren's jaw tightened. He felt like he was tied up in knots. Getting to his feet, he took a few steps away before replying, "I don't care why she's back."

"Even if it might be for you?"

He could feel it. He could feel how desperately his heart wanted to believe it, how much it wanted to leap head first into that miraculous thought. But he would be damned to fall into that trap again. So with a shake of his head, he said in a hard voice, "It doesn't matter, not anymore."

"Ren, you can't—"

KNOCK, KNOCK!

Confused as to who that would be, Ren made his way over to the heavy metal door and pulled the handle. His eyes widened in blatant surprise. "President Lory?"

Dressed in a purple velvet cape and a golden crown upon his head, he said with a low chuckle, "I knew I would find you here."

"Is there something you needed, sir?" he stammered in confusion.

"No, not me." He took a step to the side and smiled widely. "But she might."


	9. Surprise Visit

Hi everyone! Thank you again for your helpful reviews. I hope I clear up some questions you all have been having and make Ren's intentions a little clearer. I sincerely apologize if there was any confusion. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Yashiro jumped to his feet in surprise as soon as she walked through the door. In black stiletto boots and a dark blue coat, she met his wide-eyed gaze with a slight bow of her head before turning back to Ren. "I need to talk to you," she said in a voice of cool indifference.

Ren had to blink a few times before he finally managed a nod. Kanae had never once spoken a word to him before, let alone want to have an entire conversation. But the stern look in her eyes made it clear that this wasn't just any kind of talk. This was serious.

"Well then, I think my job here is done," President Lory announced with a loud clap of his hands, "unless there is something else you need, Kotonami-kun?"

She shook her head.

"Splendid! Now Yashiro, why don't we give these two a little privacy?" he offered, holding the door open. "I believe these two have much to discuss."

Walking in a stupor, the bespectacled manager followed a grinning President Lory out of the room, throwing shocked glances over his shoulder until the metal door finally closed with a thud.

Kanae casually walked over to the massive ring, her heels echoing within the large concrete room, and wrapped a slender hand around the rope. "Never saw you as the fighting type," she murmured as the fibers bit into her grasp. "How long have you been boxing?"

"A couple of years," he replied, reaching for a towel. "It's a good stress-reliever."

"You're feeling stress?"

Ren didn't answer. She was still holding onto the rope with her back towards him. He would never say he knew Kanae on any personal level, but he would say that this was abnormal behavior, even for her. So tossing the towel over his shoulder, he replied, "More so now than before."

"I take it it's because she came back unannounced." When he didn't reply, Kanae turned around and met his stiff expression with a cool one. "It must have surprised you."

He stared into her dark eyes for a prolonged minute before asking, "Why are you here, Kotonami-san?"

"Because you and I have a lot more in common than I thought," she replied.

Ren's eyes widened as he watched her sit down at the edge of the ring.

"I know how you're feeling," she continued in the same soft voice. "Hurt, betrayed, and most of all, confused." Kanae looked up at him from under her long lashes. "Am I right?"

She was. Above the anger that was still writhing inside him, confusion was what kept him up at night and twisted his nerves until it felt raw. He could accept the fact that she didn't love him. He could accept the fact that she didn't want him, but what he never understood was why she acted like she did. Why did she continue the charade when he told her how he felt? Why did she look back at him like she cared? Why not just set him straight? Why be so cruel and let him live in a dream that never existed?

Slowly sitting down beside her, Ren leaned over onto his knees and said, "You don't know why she left either."

She shook her head. "I never asked."

"Because you don't want to know?"

"There was never the right time."

"Are you happy she's back, Kotonami-san?" he murmured.

"Not from the start."

He looked at her and saw her staring down at her open hands.

"Still, I always knew she'd come back in time," Kanae continued, "I just didn't know how I would react when she did."

"What made you think she would come back?"

Kanae scoffed. "Because she's the most predictable person I have ever met."

Ren didn't think so. If she was as predictable as Kanae said, then he would have never fallen for her lies.

"I'm guessing you weren't as optimistic," she added at his cold silence.

"I never wanted her to return."

"You're right," Kanae agreed, crossing one leg over another. "You're only trying to send her back."

Ren turned to her in surprise.

She arched a delicate eyebrow. "What? You think I wouldn't know? I'm aware we're not friends, Tsuruga-san, but it doesn't take a genius to know that you feel vengeful."

"Not vengeful."

"Perhaps hateful then?"

He shook his head. "I simply don't want her here."

"But I do," Kanae replied as she smoothly got to her feet, her eyes staring intensely down at his.

Despite the bleakness of their conversation, Ren understood why the actress was so good at what she did. Although her personality may not be inviting and she gave off an aura of intimidation, it was obvious that she was strong. In fact, she carried herself like an ice princess, one who knew what she wanted and how exactly how to get it. Kanae could hold her own—even against him.

"Are you going to try to convince me that I feel the same?" he asked.

"No, because that will be a waste of both of our times."

"Then what do you want?"

Kanae walked to the other side of the room and ran her hands over the heavy equipment. She really did look out of place here. With the clothes she was wearing, Kanae easily belonged on a runway in Paris rather than an old gym. But this was important. After enduring President Lory's torturous delight of seeing her ask him for help, Kanae wasn't going to leave until she finished what she needed to do.

So turning to face him again, she said, "I've always respected you, Tsuruga-san. You're a man who's in control, both on set and off. But what I admire most about you is your intelligence. The roles you pick, the jobs you accept, and the people you surround yourself with are all obvious signs that you put a lot of thought in your decisions."

"I could say the same about you."

"Is that flattery or honesty?" she asked.

"I would never say anything I don't mean."

Kanae nodded. "Then it's good to know that you'll at least consider what I'll have to say," she began as she leaned back against the opposite wall.

Ren straightened up and looked her square in the eye. The atmosphere oddly got tense, almost like a sign that the words that will follow won't be good.

She brushed her silky bangs aside and began in a low voice, "When I first found out she left, I can't say I believed it. It felt out of character and honestly, I didn't think she would ever go anywhere without telling me. There wasn't any warning, not even a breath of an idea that she had any plans on going. To this day, I still believe that something unexpected must have happened for her to have made such a rash decision."

Ren gritted his teeth together, but kept his mouth shut.

Failing to notice his reaction, Kanae crossed her legs at the ankles and let out an exasperated sigh. "This is exactly why I never wanted to have friends in the first place because instead of just accepting the fact that she was gone, I felt irritated and upset."

"I even missed her," she admitted with a dark laugh. "I suppose it was only when she was gone that I realized how big of a role she played in my life. Sometimes, I still feel a little angry whenever I look at her. And when I think back to those three years, I feel really angry at her. But seeing her every day is better than not seeing her at all."

"I can't say the same, Kotonami-san."

"Are you sure?" she asked, lifting her dark eyes to meet his.

He didn't answer.

Sighing, she straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure that in these past three years, you've thought about her too."

Ren's jaw tightened.

"Maybe it was while you were angry, while you were working, or even at times when you weren't doing anything, but her face just suddenly comes to mind. You catch yourself wondering what she's doing, if she's taking care of herself, if she's happy wherever she is. You just start thinking."

Kanae stared at his frozen expression and smiled. "Aren't you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

The words weren't there. He couldn't deny a single thing because she said everything that he felt, whether he liked it or not. There were so many times when he thought about her until it almost felt like he was going to drive himself mad. Regardless of how much pain he felt, he kept thinking about her. Not a single day passed when his mind wasn't plagued with thoughts of her.

Satisfied with the silence, she removed herself from the wall and took a few steps towards him. "Having her home may bring back bad memories for you. It might make you remember all that had happened with more bitterness than before, but at least with her here, you can finally stop wondering and focus on the bigger matter at hand."

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"Moving on…right?"

Ren could see the challenge burning in her eyes. She was daring him to agree, to lie straight to her face that he wanted to move on. But he had too much pride to lie, especially when the challenger knew the truth all too well.

"It's hard to forget a bad memory when the memory is sticking around," he said instead.

"With all due respect, Tsuruga-san, but you had three years. Maybe it's time to try another tactic."

Ren's eyes hardened. "You know why I don't want her here," he murmured in a low voice. "You may have found the ability to forgive her, Kotonami-san, but I haven't."

"And what exactly are you unable to forgive, Tsuruga-san? Her leaving? Or her reason for leaving?"

It was like the air was suddenly knocked right out of his lungs. She was hitting all the right targets, making him face the issues that he never wanted to think about. He wanted to say something, but it was if his head couldn't come up with an answer. Kanae must have noticed the war within his eyes because she suddenly walked towards him until they were standing only a couple of feet apart.

"The way I see it, if you're upset about her leaving, then you should be more than pleased that she's back. Obviously, that isn't the case so your anger must therefore stem from the reason why. But I already know that you are not entirely sure of that either."

"I have a good idea," Ren murmured, his eyes darkening with every word.

Nodding, she replied, "More so than anyone else, but you still don't know for certain."

Seeing his expression grow cold, Kanae walked away and made her way to the door. But instead of leaving, she placed a single hand on the cold metal handle. "The first time she left, you probably thought it was because of you. But if you continue what you're doing now, then this time—" She smoothly turned around and looked at him with hard eyes—"it will be."

Then without another look back, she walked out and closed the heavy door behind her.

* * *

"Mogami-san, you don't have to stay here and wait with me. The bus should be coming soon."

"A girl should never stand outside alone, especially at night," Kyoko warned as she wrapped an arm around the tiny girl's shoulder. "Especially one who's an actress."

Laughing, Mimi replied, "But I'm not even famous!"

"Yet," she stressed with a warm smile, leading her to the bus stop. "You've been improving immensely, Mimi-san, and I'm not the only one who has noticed."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

She nodded, replying, "Sayuri-san and the others say you seem much more confident than before and that you're coming to understand your role a lot better."

Mimi couldn't help beaming with pride. After witnessing Kyoko's heart-stopping performance, she suddenly felt this new-found surge of determination to be better and to finally see her hard-work paying off made all those extra hours of staying up and practicing well worth it. Mimi always wanted to gain the respect of her fellow peers so it felt good to know that she had finally succeeded.

Kyoko smiled as she watched the delight dance across her face. Out of all the girls, Mimi was the one who impressed her the most. She considered every single piece of advice as a valuable lesson and accepted criticism like a mature adult. Even though she looked young, she had the mind of a well-experienced actress and now her abilities were starting to show it.

"Thank you, Mogami-san," Mimi murmured with a bow of her head. "I don't think I could have gotten here without you. Actually, the whole team couldn't have gotten here without you."

"That's ridiculous, Mimi-san. I have nothing to do with yours or the other girls' achievements."

She giggled. "You need to accept compliments just as well as you accept criticism, Mogami-san."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes, placing a hand on her hip. "And who has been criticizing me?"

"Oh just a few," Mimi teased with a grin.

Kyoko gave a friendly squeeze of her shoulder. "As long as it isn't you."

Mimi laughed and pressed her cheek against Kyoko's shoulder. "Who am I to criticize my own mentor?" she asked.

Kyoko leaned back with a surprised expression. "What did you call me?"

"A mentor."

She laughed softly. "Wow…"

"Wow what?"

"I just never thought I'd become someone's mentor," Kyoko admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Why not?" Mimi asked, stepping back with an incredulous expression. "You're really good at what you do!"

Kyoko smiled. "Thank you, Mimi-san. That means a lot coming from you."

"Anytime," she murmured.

Suddenly, the sound of tires coming up the road brought both of their heads up. A black car pulled up in front of them as the passenger window rolled down with a quiet whir. "You two ladies need a ride?" a friendly voice asked.

Kyoko smiled as she met his familiar warm eyes. "What are you doing here, Kenji-san?"

"Well, I was going to go home until I saw a pair of lovely sights standing by the road. I just couldn't help driving by."

Laughing, Kyoko turned to Mimi and said, "Kenji-san, may I introduce to you Mimi-san. Mimi-san, Watanabe Kenji."

"Nice to meet you," Mimi greeted with a low bow of her head, hands clasped together.

"The pleasure is mine, Mimi. Now how about a ride to wherever it is you both need to go?"

Mimi shook her head and said, "Thank you very much for the offer, Watanabe-san, but the bus should be coming by soon. Oh look, there it is now!" She pointed across the street where the large vehicle had stopped just a block away. "But I'm sure Mogami-san will join you," she added with a smile.

Kyoko nudged her in the shoulder and said, "A taxi will be just fine."

"Aww come on now, Kyoko," Kenji began with a charming pout, "I promise I'll be on my best behavior."

Mimi laughed as she watched the heat pool at Kyoko's cheeks.

"You're unbelievable, Kenji-san," Kyoko murmured with a shake of her head.

Stepping out of his car, he walked over to the passenger door and held it open for her. "I kid, Kyoko. It's just a ride home and it'll be dangerous for you to wait for a taxi anyway."

"He does have a point, Mogami-san."

Kyoko sighed. But she knew a losing argument when she saw one, so she turned to Mimi in defeat and said, "I want to see you get on the bus first."

The young actress nodded. Once the bus arrived, Mimi gave Kenji and Kyoko a final bow of her head before stepping onto the vehicle. Kyoko stood there for a few more seconds and watched the bus disappear from sight. Satisfied, she turned back to Kenji and met his warm gaze with a smile.

"Shall we, milady?" he offered with a sweeping gesture.

Playing along, Kyoko bent her knees and said, "We shall."

She gave a laughing Kenji the address to Kanae's condo and comfortably settled into his luxurious leather seat. Everything about this car spelled money and Kyoko was certain it was worth more than she could ever imagine. Then after getting back on the road, Kenji turned on the heater and asked in a casual voice, "So do you always work this late, Kyoko?"

She nodded. "The girls like to get as much time as they can in the studio. So this is a normal work night for me. How about you, Kenji-san? Were you filming or something?"

"I actually just got back from a meeting with my director. We decided to eat dinner this time too so I don't normally get off this late unless I'm filming."

"Are you preparing for a new movie?"

Kenji shook his head. "It's a drama this time," he replied, winking at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm playing the romantic lead."

"Well isn't that fitting," Kyoko said with a laugh. "I don't think they could find anyone better for the part."

"Now you're just flattering me."

"Just a tad," she teased.

Kenji chuckled and shook his head. "That does it. We really need to schedule another lunch together, Kyoko. The last time just doesn't count."

She looked down at her lap, feeling her cheerful mood dissolve as his face came back into view. For the past few days, she had successfully pushed him to the back of her mind, at least long enough for her to focus on work and until she was safe under the covers of her own bed to let her tears flow free. But in the confines of Kenji's car, she forcefully bit down on the wave of sadness and murmured, "I really do apologize for that day, Kenji-san."

"I hardly think it was your fault, Kyoko," he disagreed in a soft voice. "Although, I can't say I wasn't surprised." Kenji stole a quick glance at her and said, "You two must go way back."

Grateful that he didn't mention his name, she sighed and said, "I guess you could say that."

Kenji noticed the look in her eyes. He knew he was treading on a sensitive topic and it wasn't like he needed her to tell him that she and Ren had something more than just a professional relationship. Kenji had been in enough relationships and seen enough couples to know what jealousy looked like and his normally composed friend was fuming with it when he caught him standing next to Kyoko. Although Kyoko was certainly a woman Kenji could easily fall for, he knew that her heart belonged to someone else. Just one look at her face in that bakery made it all too clear.

So with a smile, he said, "Well, most girls would kill to be in your position, Kyoko. Everyone would love a chance to be close to him."

"It's not what you think, Kenji-san."

"What do you mean?"

Kyoko let out a deep breath. "We're not as close as you think we are."

But before he could ask, she suddenly looked out the window and said, "We're here."

With a million questions burning in the back of his throat, he entered the driving circle in silence and stopped in front of the main building. Kyoko unbuckled her seat belt and turned to him with a small smile. "Thank you for the ride home, Kenji-san."

He smiled back. "Not a problem. And Kyoko, I do mean it when I said we should grab lunch again."

"I'd like that."

She waved one last time and watched the car turn a corner before turning around and walking into the lobby. Feeling emotionally drained all over again, Kyoko made her way towards the elevator and pushed for the highest floor. She couldn't wait to crawl into bed. It was only there that she can finally find her escape, no matter how short it was.

The quiet ding of the elevator signaled the opening of the metal doors. Fishing for her keys, Kyoko stepped out and walked down the carpeted hallway. She rummaged for what felt like forever before she finally felt the familiar cold metal between her fingers. But as soon as she looked up, Kyoko stopped dead in her tracks.

Leaning against her front door with his arms over his chest, he slowly raised his head and met her wide-eyed gaze with a half-smile. "Welcome home."

No biting remark came to mind. No clever retort, no raging insult. Only one word rose up her throat. Only one word was spoken from her frozen lips.

"Shotaro…"


	10. Words Long Overdue

Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the later than usual update. This chapter was a little harder to write, but it was fun all the same. Thank you so much for your patience. Hop you like it! Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

He had no idea how long he had been standing at her door. Not bothering to check the watch around his wrist, Sho only concentrated on the beating of his heart as he waited for her return. He had come up with every scenario imaginable of how they would meet again, but the one thing he failed to consider was how he would feel when they did. So the instant he laid his eyes on her it was as if everything screeched to a halt. Sho drank in every contour of her face, admiring her obvious beauty that had matured these last few years. The intensity of her golden eyes, the curve of her lips, and the smoothness of her skin proved that the time away had all been too good to her.

He felt a rush of satisfaction at seeing her eyes widen in surprise when she looked at him. He wanted to catch her off guard because it was only during moments like these when he saw the real Kyoko. It was moments like these when no one else in the world existed—only them.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

She didn't reply.

Pushing off the wall with a small grunt, Sho uncrossed his arms and walked towards her. "Were you just going to keep me waiting?"

"H-h-how…?"

He shrugged. "The LME assistants are quite helpful when you need them."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," he replied, "I guess I just felt like today was the day I would finally get my answer."

Kyoko could feel her heart racing in her chest. She never thought in a million years he would come looking for her again. Even though she knew there was a chance they'd run into each other, she had hoped that fate would be on her side. But seeing the steely look in his eyes made it all too clear that he was an obstacle she couldn't avoid forever.

So refusing to back down, she murmured, "Nothing has changed, Shotaro."

"Do you really believe that?"

Her eyes hardened. "That wasn't a question."

"So why did you leave? Did you need the time away to convince yourself?"

Kyoko let out a cold laugh. Walking past him, she made her way towards the door and spun around with her back against the wood. "Don't act like you understand me, Shotaro. You have no idea how I feel."

"On the contrary, I think I'm the only one who does."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know how you feel about me."

Kyoko's eyes widen. "Don't."

"I know you lov—"

"Stop!"

"Stop what?" he demanded as he stepped closer to her. "Stop pointing out the obvious truth? Stop being honest?"

"It's more complicated than that," she whispered.

"Then let's make it simple. Did you ever really stop loving me?"

She pressed back against the door, feeling the world collapsing in on her. But Sho continued to stare into her eyes relentlessly. He wasn't going to let her go. After waiting for so long, he wasn't going to let her walk away without admitting the truth. He needed to hear her say it.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Kyoko asked.

"You know why," he murmured, placing a hand on the wall beside her head. "You know that I meant every single word I said to you that night."

Shaking her head, she looked down at the floor and closed her eyes. "Stop! I don't want to hear it anymore! I don't—!"

"I love you."

Her heart suddenly tightened, as if two hands were twisting and squeezing until pain flashed behind her eyes. That night came roaring back like a storm. She could see everything, the way his eyes bored into hers, the trembling of her knees as he gripped the top of her arms, the parting of his lips as he murmured the very words she wanted to hear, but the same ones that hurt her like nothing else could.

The tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. Her fingernails dug painfully into the palm of her hand as she raised her eyes to his. She recognized this expression. It brought her back to when she would spend hours watching him play music, admiring the way his eyes glowed and the confident movements of his hands. It was Sho without the antics. It was Sho without the immaturity. It was Sho, the first person she loved.

He could see the fight raging within her eyes. It was an obvious sign that she didn't hate him as much as she claimed and it was that hope that kept him standing close to her, unyielding and demanding her to see the truth. So in a soft voice, he murmured, "I know why you left. I know why you ran. You were scared and confused. You don't want to love me, but that doesn't change the fact that you do."

Leaning in closer, he whispered, "Can you tell me no? Can you tell me I'm wrong?"

Kyoko's hands clenched into tight fists. "You're right," she whispered. "You're absolutely right. I didn't want to love you. After everything you've done to me, I want nothing to do with you. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I knew that somewhere in my heart I still cared about you and I was more than aware of why I was so obsessed with beating you. I did love you."

Kyoko slowly raised her eyes to his. "But to say I wanted you to love me, Shotaro, is far from the truth."

He leaned back. "What?"

"I may be foolish enough to have had feelings for you, but I'm not dumb enough to want something to happen between us."

"You just told me you love me. How can you—?"

"Did."

"What?"

"I _did_ love you, Shotaro."

He stared at her with wide eyes. Then swallowing the thick knot in his throat, he stumbled back and whispered, "And now?"

She pressed her lips into a grim line. "I'm done."

"That's it? You're just—done?"

Kyoko didn't respond. She just looked at back him, watching his expression harden.

"Then why did you leave?" he demanded, biting down on his rising anger. "If you're so sure about how you feel, why didn't you just stay?"

"Why do you assume l left because of you?"

Sho laughed darkly as he moved away from her. Turning around, he kept his focus on the light fixture upon the opposite wall and said in a loud voice, "If not, then I suppose it was all because of him."

Kyoko froze.

He looked back at her alarmed expression and smirked. "He must have been surprised."

Feeling like the wind was knocked out of her, she took one step forward and mumbled, "Why would you think—?" She stopped. Like a key, the answer suddenly clicked in place. The proud look in his face made it all too clear. He knew. "You were there. You were there the entire—"

"You know, you really do make a great actress, Kyoko," Sho chuckled as he turned back to face her. "When I saw you holding his hand, I thought you had finally accepted him. He waited so goddamn long that honestly I almost felt a little relieved for the guy. But I had no idea that I could change your mind so quickly. I didn't think I would be able to sway your feelings, but I guess your love for him only runs skin deep."

Kyoko couldn't breathe. All thoughts of being cordial flew out the window. Her blood boiled dangerously through her veins and her vision flashed red. Right before her eyes, Sho suddenly warped into a target. Feeling her fingers flex, Kyoko held her arms to her sides and said in a low voice, "Did you plan it from the start?"

Sho stood in silence as he watched the blackness swirl around her.

"Was it all part of some game?" she murmured, trembling like a leaf. "Was it all a part of some plan?"

"I told you I meant what I—"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL!" she shouted as her bag dropped to the floor, the contents spilling out onto the carpet. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND IT WAS ALL FOR YOUR SICK, TWISTED GAME!"

"It wasn't a game!" Sho hollered back. "I do love you! I had always planned on telling you!"

"THAT NIGHT? DID YOU PLAN ON TELLING ME THAT NIGHT?"

His jaw tightened.

Seeing his face was enough. In an instant, her fury shot through the roof. Backing away from the musician, Kyoko ground her teeth together and bit out, "You saw us. You saw everything and in your usual SELFISHNESS you decided at that moment to tell me. It wasn't because you cared. It wasn't because you finally gave a damn about how I felt. IT WAS ALL FOR YOU!"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER ANYWAY?" he thundered. "YOU DON'T LOVE ME! WHETHER I TOLD YOU THEN OR LATER, WHY DOES IT MATTER?"

"Because even at times of proclaimed selflessness, you still made it about you!"

Sho faltered as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"You knew how I felt about him!" she yelled through her tears. "You saw that I was happy and you couldn't stand it!"

"You're wrong! I told you because I wanted you to be sure!"

"SURE? SURE?" she shrieked. "YOU WANTED TO TEST MY FEELINGS FOR HIM? WHO ARE YOU THAT I SHOULD FEEL THE NEED TO PROVE MYSELF?"

"IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE ME OVER HIM, THEN OF COURSE I WAS DAMN WELL GOING TO TRY!" Sho shouted. "I wasn't going to let you go without a fight!"

Kyoko laughed coldly. "Let me go? After tossing me aside like trash, now you want to keep me around?"

"That's not fair," he growled. "That was years ago! You can't hold that against—!"

"WHY NOT THEN? WHY DIDN'T YOU WANT ME THEN, SHOTARO? WHEN YOU PRACTICALLY HAD MY HEART IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND, WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT FOR ME THEN?"

The words suddenly stalled in his throat. It felt like she had slapped him in the face. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say because with every word he spoke, he was pushing her farther and farther away. Sho didn't want that. That wasn't what he wanted at all.

Kyoko's chest heaved up and down in painful breaths. The stitch in her side throbbed, but it was her heart that was pounding with so much force that she could barely keep herself standing. She didn't bother wiping the tears that ran down her face. She didn't bother trying to hold back the sobs that clawed up her throat.

Kyoko had kept these feelings bottled up for far too long. They festered and grew until it practically killed her from within. Before, she had been too ashamed. Before, she thought they were proof of how weak and pathetic she was. But now, she didn't care. Now, all she wanted was to be freed from this long-lasting pain. She wanted an answer.

"I loved you so much," she whispered. "I loved you with every fiber of my being. It didn't matter that you didn't feel the same. It didn't matter to me at all. I was happy just being by your side. I was fine as long as you wanted me around. You could have done anything you wanted and I was going to be there for you whenever you needed me." Kyoko choked back a sob and blinked away the tears. "Why didn't you love me then?"

"I don't—I don't know why," he stammered. "It was different, Kyoko. That situation—"

"Then why now?" She pinned him with her piercing eyes. "Why do you suddenly love me now?"

"Because…because…"

"Because what?"

"I don't know!" Sho replied angrily. "I just know I love you, alright? Whenever I think about you being with him it makes me so mad I—!" He sucked in a sharp breath. "I can't stand the fact knowing you're with him."

"Am I some object to be possessed, Shotaro? Do I not have my own desires and feelings?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Did you ever consider the notion that maybe I want to be with him? Does it matter to you at all that I might be happy with him? Do you even care?"

Sho didn't know what to say. He did love her. That part was true. But how could he stand the fact that he lost her to him? How could he just step back and do nothing? He may have confessed to her because of a motive, but his confession was true. His feelings were true!

"I do want you to be happy," he said. "But the fact that you were rattled by my confession means you don't love him as much as you think."

"Then why do you think I'm back, Shotaro?" Kyoko walked forward until she could see the shock in his frozen blue eyes. "Why do you think I'm here? Do you think I returned for you?"

Sho was used to her anger. He was even used to her sadness. But her coldness was something he could never handle. It cut into him like a blade, ripping into his nerves until they burned raw. A part of him always knew that he had hurt her to the point of no return, that there was nothing he could do to heal the scars he inflicted. But Sho just never expected to see it so blatantly in her amber eyes.

"Tell me why you left," he challenged instead. "If you knew from the start you didn't love me, why did you leave?"

"I don't owe you an answer," she growled.

"Does he know?"

Kyoko stopped.

"Does he know why you left?"

"That's none of your concern."

His eyes suddenly widened with realization at the sight of her pained expression. "You hurt him," he murmured softly.

Holding back the choking misery, she turned around and walked back to the front door. Kyoko would be damned to show him. She would be damned to show how much she wanted to fall to her knees and cry. She would be damned to show how much she never wanted to leave. Out of all people, he was the last person she wanted to show weakness to.

"Get out," she murmured.

"What?"

"You heard me," Kyoko snarled, refusing to meet his eyes. "I want you to leave."

"Why? Because I finally struck a nerve?"

Kyoko shook her head. "You got what you wanted. You wanted an answer and I gave it to you. Now leave me the hell alone.

"He hates you…doesn't he?"

She closed her eyes.

"Are you going to try to win him back?"

"Get out."

Sho shook his head. "It's not going to work. After that act, he must think you're nothing but a liar now."

"Get out!"

"If he still loved you, he would have welcomed you back with open arms, Kyoko. It's over."

"GET OUT!"

"Just accept the goddamn truth! You're done! He will never—!"

"How many more times does she have to say it for you to understand?"

Spinning around, Kyoko saw Kanae standing at the open elevator with her eyes narrowed and standing right behind her, was a much older Maria who had the same cold expression.

"But just in case you didn't get it," the young girl began in an angry voice as she stepped out of the elevator, "let me say it for you again." She glared. "GET. OUT."

"Who the hell are you guys?" Sho barked as he turned to face them.

Kanae smoothly walked up to him and met him eye to eye. Then in a voice that dripped of poison, she said, "If you don't leave in the next five seconds, I swear I will have you crawling out of here on your hands and knees. Now get out of my place."

Sho clenched his jaw. He wasn't afraid of this girl, but he could see the electricity sparking in her eyes. She was dead serious and he wasn't the type of guy to get into a fight, especially with a woman. So straightening up to his full height, he threw one last glance at Kyoko before making his way towards the elevator. But as soon as the doors opened for his entrance, he stopped and relaxed his arms.

"Regardless of the reason why, you still left him, Kyoko. And if he doesn't want you back now—" He stepped inside "—then there's no chance he will want you back later." And the doors finally slid closed with a thud.

Kyoko fell back against the door, feeling the strength drain from out of her.

Maria quickly flew to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Onee-sama! Are you alright?"

Smiling weakly, she brought a slender hand to Maria's head and nodded. "I'm fine."

"Let's get inside," Kanae said as she scooped up Kyoko's things and hooked her bag around her arm. "We'll talk there." She took out the keys and opened the door, flipping the light switch on the wall beside her. The other two followed silently.

Once Kanae had closed the door, she sat down on the couch in the living room and looked once at Kyoko as a signal for her to join her. Maria quietly climbed onto Kyoko's lap, nestling her face into the crook of her shoulder. Even though she was certainly too big for that now, Kyoko didn't care. Her warm weight was oddly comforting against her chest. So wrapping both arms around Maria's torso and clasping her hands together, Kyoko murmured, "You've grown so much, Maria-chan."

She smiled. "You too, Onee-sama."

"What are you doing here anyway? How did you know I was here?"

"Actually I—"

Kanae reached over and placed a hand on her knee.

Maria fell silent and looked back at her with a curious expression.

"Later," the actress said with softened eyes. "We have something else to discuss first." She locked eyes with Kyoko and gently retracted her hand. "I've been patient with you long enough, haven't I?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Then don't you think it's time?"

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Time for what?"

"Time to tell us what really happened three years ago."


	11. True Intentions

Hi everyone! I'm so glad that you like how the story is unfolding. As always, I hope I make you proud. Thank you for the awesome support! Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko gripped the mug with tense fingers. The smell of hot cocoa permeated the room, wrapping around her like a warm blanket, but even its comforting goodness couldn't stop the trembling of her hands. Maria brought over three coasters and placed them upon the coffee table before taking her seat upon the floor next to Kyoko's legs, leaning against her knee. She looked up at her with an encouraging smile that Kyoko was unable to return except for a slight curve of her lips.

Kanae sat next to her, sipping on the warm beverage in a casual way, but her dark eyes never strayed from Kyoko's face. Kyoko had felt her impatience the minute she stepped through the door—heck, the minute she moved in with her, Kyoko saw the question burning in Kanae's eyes. Her desire to know was almost tangible, but Kyoko had never volunteered to explain. She just couldn't find the will to. Even though she knew she should say something, Kyoko didn't…until now.

"I'm sorry."

"For what, Onee-sama?" Maria asked with a tilt of her head.

She sighed sadly. "For taking so long."

"It doesn't matter. You're here now."

Smiling a little easier at the young girl's easy acceptance, Kyoko caressed her cheek once before raising her eyes to Kanae's.

The stoic actress had already put her steaming cup down onto the table and turned to face her. Clearing her throat, she asked, "I take it from the scene outside that it has something to do with him?"

Leave it to Kanae to jump straight to the point. But refusing to drag it out any longer, she nodded and said, "Somewhat. He certainly…affected my choice."

"Who is he, Onee-sama?"

"A very long story, Maria-chan. One I'll tell you some day, but for now, all you need to know is that he's someone I—" She breathed in deeply and clenched her teeth together. But finding her voice again, she finally murmured, "someone I loved."

Maria's eyes widened. "You loved him?"

Smiling wryly, Kyoko replied, "Not exactly the highlight of my life, but yes. I did." Then sighing what felt like a million years worth of sighs, she gently placed her mug down onto a coaster and clasped her hands tightly together. "Even though I was determined to move on, there was a part of me that found it hard to let go of him. I guess there really is a thin line between hate and love. But little by little, I was getting better at it by having a career of my own, following a dream I never knew I had, and meeting people I had never expected to care so deeply for."

"Does that include Tsuruga-san?"

Kyoko met Kanae's calculating gaze with a pounding heart. She could see the answer in her friend's eyes, but she understood the importance of giving a physical response. So with softened eyes, she simply nodded.

Maria gasped in surprise and rose to her knees. "Really?" she exclaimed. "REALLY?"

Kyoko couldn't help freezing up when she saw the bright look in her eyes. That was enough to have her running for cover. But thankfully, Kanae jumped to her rescue and said, "Considering how much time you two spent together, I assume that would be the logical route."

Kyoko laughed softly. Oddly enough, she felt a bit better knowing that falling in love with him was inevitable. Reassured that it was out of her control somehow didn't make her feel so weak, even though her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"Does Ren-sama know?" Maria asked, her eyes sparkling with glee. "Have you told him yet?"

"No, I haven't told him, but I don't think I ever will."

"Why not?" she asked in a pitchy voice.

"Because I don't deserve him."

Maria turned to Kanae with shocked eyes, but the actress didn't return it. She was too busy looking at Kyoko's lowered head with an expression Maria couldn't read. It wasn't pity or sympathy, just…indifferent.

Feeling the silence set into her skin, Kyoko finally ran a hand through her hair and looked up. It felt as if she was staring at two ends of the spectrum of surprise. Maria couldn't have looked more shocked while Kanae didn't display much emotion at all. But Kyoko knew better. If her friend didn't care, then she never would have asked.

So with the words already on the tip of her tongue, Kyoko took in another deep breath before she said the words she hoped would lighten her heavy heart.

"I don't know when I fell in love with him. I can't even remember when I finally realized it. All I know is that he was someone I thought about everyday and wanted to see more than I should. He changed from an actor I respected to a man who could stop my heart in an instant."

She let out an exhale, relishing in the warmth that spread to her fingertips. It felt good to say all of this now. Used to keeping her personal life private, Kyoko found it amazing that she actually felt better with every word spoken from her lips.

"Were you afraid?" Kanae asked.

"Why would she be afraid?" Maria jumped in before she could reply, showing Kanae a confused look. "This is great! Do you realize how long I have been waiting for this?" She grinned when she saw the astonished look on Kyoko's face. "You're perfect for Ren-sama! There's no one else I would want him to be with!"

"Maria-chan, what are you talking about?"

"Well, it's not like you two don't get along. And I can see how much you enjoy each other's company. Besides, what's better than having my two favorite people be in love?"

Kyoko let out a sad smile. "You're right. There is nothing better."

"Onee-sama?"

Holding back the sadness that flooded through her veins, Kyoko looked at Kanae and finally shook her head. "I wasn't afraid…especially when he told me he loved me too."

In an instant, Kanae's mask dropped. The shock upon her face would have been laughable if not for the seriousness of the conversation. Maria, on the other hand, gasped so loudly that the sound bounced off the walls as she jumped onto the couch and gripped her hand in a vice-like grip.

"He told you? HE TOLD YOU, ONEE-SAMA?" She squealed in delight and bounced up and down on the cushion. "Oh my god, this is amazing! I can't believe you never said anything! This is great news!"

She smiled. It was great news. Even though it happened so long ago, Kyoko could still feel the warmth of his hand over hers, the way his eyes stared deep into her own, and the gentle timbre of his voice as he murmured the words that lit her heart on fire. It should have scared her. It should have made her nervous, but it didn't, at least not in the way she thought it would.

"I really didn't believe it at first," Kyoko murmured, looking down at her hands. "For him to love someone like me was too surreal. I already accepted the fact that I might have to admire him from afar, but I never considered the idea that he might have felt the same. And the way he told me…"

Kyoko let out a soft laugh. "…it was perfect. No pressure, no anxiety, no fear. It was everything I could have wished for and more. I was so overcome with emotion that night that I couldn't even say anything. There were no words to describe exactly what I wanted to say, but the way he looked at me was enough. He understood."

"When he asked me out to dinner, I felt lighter than air. At the time, the only unease I had was waking up to realize it was nothing but a dream." Kyoko's eyes suddenly darkened. "It probably would have been better if it was."

"What do you mean?" Kanae asked.

She closed her eyes to stop the anger from completely drowning out her voice. Seeing his face brought all of the frustration back as if it had happened yesterday. "I don't know how long he was waiting there," she managed to say as she opened her eyes. "But he walked up to me and…"

She clenched her hands together upon her lap. Kyoko couldn't even say the words out loud. It only brought back the same distress she felt that night, the helplessness of not knowing what to do. But she had already got this far, so forcing herself to speak, Kyoko said, "He told me he knew that he hurt me, that he knew that there wasn't anything he could say that will take back the words he said, that even though he couldn't undo the pain, he loved me."

"He said the words so easily, as if he had cared all along. But instead of dismissing it all, I suddenly felt my heart beat faster. My hands got clammy and I could barely think straight. Underneath it all, I finally realized that those were the words I always wanted to hear, whether I knew it or not." She laughed coldly and shook her head. "I guess old habits do die hard. A part of me still wanted him, even after all that time."

"If I wasn't thinking straight, I probably would have fallen for it. If I wasn't already aware of my own feelings, I probably would have gone back to him. But I couldn't."

She met their wide-eyed gazes with a soft smile. "I may have wanted to hear the words, but I knew I didn't want him."

"Then why did you go?" Kanae asked. "If you didn't love him anymore, why did you leave?"

"Because I was too ashamed. Even though I could proudly say I didn't want to be with him, I couldn't deny the fact that my heart was still trying to forget. I was still affected by him. When he confessed, I realized that I hadn't moved on completely. I was weak."

The tears came back. It felt like it was all she could do lately. Kyoko hated crying; she hated the lack of control, the inability to stay calm. No matter how desperately she tried to hold them back, they rushed forward, much like the feelings she buried deep within her heart. She didn't want them anymore, but that didn't stop them from making her second guess herself.

Kyoko knew who she loved. She knew that Ren was the one she wanted but—

"—how was I supposed to tell him I love him when a part of me still belonged to someone else? How could I tell him that I still felt something for someone who has caused me nothing but pain?"

Dropping her heavy head into her hands, she mumbled, "I was too scared. I was too scared to see the look on his face if I told him the truth. I didn't want to see his disappointment, but even more cowardly than that, I didn't want him to see how pathetic I was."

"And you thought leaving him was going to fix everything?"

A tear dripped onto her lap, her vision blurring as she lifted her head. "No, I knew that the instant I left, he was never going to feel the same way again. I knew that leaving destroyed every chance I had with him. But I was so sure that I was doing the right thing. He should love someone who can love him just the same, a woman who can return his feelings unconditionally. I couldn't do that, but I didn't have the courage to tell him either."

Unable to look at their faces, Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut and felt the tears drip onto her jeans. "I was so afraid of losing him, that I thought I should walk away first. It was the most selfish decision I ever made."

And feeling the sobs rise from her throat, she pressed the palm of her hands against her eyes to stem the emotions that poured through. But in a gentle movement she didn't see, Kyoko suddenly felt Kanae's arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her to her chest.

Like a wall that was finally broken, Kyoko cried. She cried so hard she was sure she was going to break in half. Her heart beat fiercely in her chest and her lungs pulled in as much air as they could as her body shook with grief. The sadness she had felt all these years, the regret of not facing her fears, and the loss of the love she could have had came raining down upon her shoulders. Never had she felt so hopeless or so defeated.

Maria leaned her cheek against her shoulder, placing her tiny hand into hers. Then in a soft whisper, she said, "It's not over yet, Onee-sama."

Kyoko shook her head.

"There's still a chance," Kanae added. "You still have time."

"I already ruined everything. I can't fix this."

"You're not even going to try?" Kanae gently pushed her back to stare intensely into her glistening eyes. "You said it yourself: he deserves better, right? Then don't you think he deserves to know the truth? Even if it might not fix anything, even if he still hates you afterwards, shouldn't you tell him? Isn't that the least you owe him?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Kyoko slowly sat up. Kanae was right. This wasn't about her. Three years ago, she ran for herself. Three years ago, she left him because she was selfish. But now that she had returned, this was about him. Regardless of how much it'll hurt, she needed to do this…for him.

Maria squeezed her hand and said, "You should tell him at the party."

"What party?" Kyoko asked.

Smiling, she reached into her bag and pulled out a thick golden invitation. "A week from today is the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of LME," Maria explained. "Grandfather is hosting the largest banquet of the year. All LME actors and workers are going to make an appearance. So that means that Ren-sama will be there too. You should tell him there, Onee-sama. Let him know what really happened."

"Is that why you came here today?" Kyoko asked as she accepted the outstretched invitation.

Maria nodded vigorously. "I wanted to personally invite you."

Kyoko turned to Kanae and nibbled on her lower lip. "You'll go?"

She nodded. "I am an LME actress after all."

Getting to her knees, Maria wrapped both arms around Kyoko's shoulder and leaned her chin into the crook of her shoulder. "You can do this, Onee-sama."

She let out a tearful laugh and gripped her hand. "You've really matured so much, Maria-chan."

"Studying abroad does that to you."

"What were you studying?"

Maria grinned and exclaimed, "Singing! I'm going to be a singer, Onee-sama!"

"You are?" Kyoko cried with joy as she turned to face her. "That's wonderful, Maria-chan!"

Showing a gentle smile, Kanae murmured with a nod of her head, "Good job. You did it."

Maria's smile grew wider at their praise as she squeezed Kyoko's shoulders with both arms. "Now it's your turn, Onee-sama," she began with a rocking motion. "It's your turn to get what you want."

"Maria-chan…"

"You want Ren-sama, right?"

"Well I—"

"Onee-sama," Maria scolded. "It's either a yes or no."

Kyoko smiled meekly. Then in a soft murmur with her eyes glued to her lap, she replied, "Yes."

"Then you know what we have to do?"

She raised her head. "What?"

"Moko-san, do you?" Maria asked with a grin.

Kanae sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she got to her feet. "Looks like we're going shopping."

* * *

_KNOCK, KNOCK!_

Clicking pause, Ren placed the remote back onto the coffee table and made his way to the door. He unlatched the golden lock and pulled the bolt aside. When he opened the door, Ren couldn't wipe the shock upon his face. "Ryoko?"

She smiled sheepishly at his expression and held out a plate of cookies. "This is a peace offering. I know they won't taste any good, but it's the effort that counts, right?"

Shaking his head once, Ren returned her smile with a warm one of his own as he held the door open for her. "Come in, Ryoko."

"Really?"

"You came with cookies. I can't possibly say no to that."

Ryoko laughed, feeling the knots in her shoulder unwind at his easy-going smile. She stepped through the doorway and heard him close the door softly behind her. She scanned the room before her with intrigue. Ryoko had never been to his place before, but it was exactly the kind of place she expected him to have, donned with sleek black leather couches, an entertainment system that oozed of money, and a kitchen filled with stainless steel appliances. The condo was every bit as masculine as him. Black on black with grey and whites strewn throughout, the room somehow looked bigger than a normal living room.

"Ryoko."

She turned around and felt her heart stutter. It had only been a few days since she had last seen him, but it was as if she had completely forgotten how weak he made her feel. Ryoko thought she could see him with her head held high, but if he continued to look at her like that, then she was sure she was going to surrender to the tumultuous feelings that roared through her since the day they spoke in the garage. But pasting a calm smile upon her face, she replied in a steady voice, "I don't mean to intrude in your own home, Ren, but I just want to talk. I swear that we're not going to discuss what happened. I just want to make sure things are okay between us."

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm fine too, but Ryoko, I—"

She placed a hand upon his arm. "That's enough, Ren. That's all I need."

He stared at her in silence, as if waiting for her to change her mind. And Ryoko might have if she didn't turn away from his penetrating gaze. But forcing her eyes to look anywhere besides him, she searched her surroundings and saw a familiar golden piece of paper on his coffee table. Walking towards it, she put her plate down and held the invitation up with a smile. "Are you going?"

Ren nodded. "Are you?"

"Of course. I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to dress up."

Chuckling, he sat upon headrest of the couch and asked, "Do all women think like that?"

"Well, it is practically hard-wired into us."

They both laughed and for a split second there, it seemed like things could go back to normal. But the bleakness in his eyes returned as soon as he met her gaze. Ryoko shook her head when she saw him open his mouth. "I'm fine, Ren," she reassured. "Everything's fine. So don't worry, okay?"

He didn't reply. She knew she was making things uncomfortable for him, but Ryoko couldn't stand not seeing him anymore. They hadn't talked in days and after what happened, she wanted to try to salvage whatever relationship they had left. She refused to give up so easily.

Then something must have persuaded him for the better because his lips slowly curved into a gentle smile as he asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner, Ryoko?"

"You cook?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, I put ingredients together and hope for the best. Do you consider that cooking?"

Ryoko giggled and nodded. "I would love to, Ren. What can I do to help?"

"It's alright, Ryoko" he said as he walked towards the kitchen. "Just make yourself comfortable."

"Are you sure? I can—"

He held up a hand with a softened gaze. "Let me do this, Ryoko."

Feeling her heart jumpstart in her chest, she felt her head nod once. Then after showing her one more smile, he walked into the kitchen. Ryoko sat down onto the couch and looked around like a little kid who had no idea what to do. She scanned the room and realized that he didn't have any pictures, no friends, family, or even himself. And when she looked up at his television, she noticed he was watching one of his old dramas, Dark Moon. It was this drama that had flamed her desire to meet him. It was this drama that gave her the push to enter LME.

Currently, the drama was paused at a scene with the villain of the story, Mio. Curious as to what episode it was on, she reached for the remote and was about to push play when something glimmered out of the corner of her eye. Ryoko turned her head and saw a silver necklace upon the tabletop. With nimble fingers, she held the chain in the palm of her hand and admired the pink gem in the center.

Intricate and delicate, even Ryoko could tell that this was no piece of cheap jewelry. But it seemed out of place here. Why would Ren have such a feminine necklace? Why would he—? Then like a punch to the gut, she suddenly felt the air rush out of her lungs in a painful gasp. The answer was clear. It couldn't be his. It must belong to someone else. It must belong to another wom—.

"Ryoko?"

Startled, she whipped her head around and stuffed her hand into the pocket of her jacket. "YES?"

He chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wondering if there's anything you're allergic to."

"No! No! Anything's fine! Actually, would you mind it terribly if I sit and watch you? I promise I won't lift a finger, but I feel sort of useless just sitting here."

"Are you sure? You might not want to eat afterwards."

Ryoko laughed and got to her feet. "Nonsense! I'm sure it'll be fine."

Following him into the kitchen, she sat down upon the silver bar stool and leaned her chin into the palm of her hand. She focused on the movement of his hands and the sound of his voice as he explained what he was making. She focused on the delicious aroma coming from the pot he was stirring upon the stove. She focused on the sounds of metal silverware clanging together. She focused on everything, everything except for the heavy weight growing inside her pocket.


	12. Gauntlet Thrown

Hi everyone! Thank you for your reviews. I hope you are still enjoying the story so far. This is so different from what I usually write, so I hope I'm doing it justice. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Hello Tokyo! You are now with us live at LME's 75th anniversary banquet. Anybody who's anybody is here for the largest party of the year and the host, President Lory, has graciously extended an exclusive invitation to his mansion that no one—and I repeat, NO ONE—has ever seen before!" The reporter flashed a pearly white smile and winked. "Let's go on in and meet our favorite celebrities, shall we?"

Maneuvering through a crowd that was bustling like an army of ants, she stepped through the archway and gasped loudly at the sight before her. The video camera moved smoothly from side to side as it recorded the golden splendor that was called President Lory's home. Sparkling like diamonds and lit up like stars, the room was decorated with grandiose chandeliers, elegant pieces of art, velvet couches of red and golden threads, and glassy marbled floors that shimmered like a lake. People were casually walking about with a drink in one hand and hors d'oevure in the other. Ladies in gowns of silk and satin and men in classic tuxedos hung around the banister of the spiraling staircase, flirting, chatting, and clearly enjoying the splendor before them.

"Can you believe this folks?" the reporter whispered into her microphone as she turned to the camera with an awed gaze. "I don't think a movie set can do any better. It's like a fairy tale come true, isn't it?" Giggling, she waved at the camera to follow her up the winding stairs.

A couple of people waved at the camera, but the reporter continued to move forward as if looking for bigger prey. Once she got to the second floor, she laughed in delight. She had hit the mother-load. Every face was familiar for they were all the well-known actors and actresses of LME. Practically running, she approached the first man she saw and shouted happily, "Kenji-kun!"

Dressed in a fitting grey suit with silver pinstripes and a royal blue collared shirt underneath, he turned around and flashed a wide grin at the camera and reporter. "Good evening, milady."

"And a good evening it is," the reporter greeted as she held the microphone to his lips. "You look dashing, Kenji-kun."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled. "I'm nothing compared to how you look. This red dress is absolutely stunning on you."

Blushing the same shade as her gown, the reporter giggled and said, "You're such a tease, Kenji-kun. Now tell us, how does it feel to be here at LME's 75th anniversary? You must be proud to be a part of such a prestigious agency."

"I couldn't have said it better myself. Getting into LME has allowed me to accomplish my dream and more. I don't know if I could every repay President Lory for granting me this once-in-a-lifetime chance."

"You can always try," a deep voice rumbled from behind.

"President Lory!" the reporter exclaimed with enthusiasm. "What an honor it is to see you!"

Approaching in luxurious Persian robes with a mighty sword hanging from his belt, he smiled brightly at the two and said, "Welcome to my humble abode. I hope you are enjoying yourselves."

Kenji nodded. "This is quite a shindig, sir. You really went all out."

"Well, I am known for my parties."

"And your spontaneity," she added with a gesture at his clothes. "May I ask what you're wearing, President Lory?"

He held out his arms. "Do you like it?" he asked as he unsheathed his sword with a mighty swing. "I thought it would fit the mood."

"And what would that be, sir?"

"Adventure! Much like these years here at LME and what an amazing journey it has been, if I can say so myself. Everyone has grown immensely and I can't be more proud of the devoted souls who have truly given it their all to the world of acting."

"And speaking of devoted souls, where in the world is your top—?"

"REN!"

Like a blur of color, everyone rushed to the door where a smiling Tsuruga Ren stood with his head bowed in modesty. Catching eyes with his fellow stars, he exchanged friendly "hello's" and "good evening's" to each person in turn before he raised his head at President Lory's booming call. With a grace that had all women swooning, he made his way across the floor and stood beside his mentor.

"Tsuruga Ren!" the reporter announced with glee, barely holding onto her microphone as she bounced up and down. "I can't believe I'm meeting you in person!"

He chuckled. "Please, the pleasure is mine…?"

"Lele! It's Lele!" she gasped.

"Lele-san," he repeated with a breath-taking smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well, I'm sure the folks back home are dying to know who you're wearing, Ren-kun. Who's the special designer?"

In a classic tuxedo of white on white with a pink rose pinned to his breast pocket, Ren looked like he had just materialized from a fashion magazine. His hair was swept out of his face so that everyone could get a good look at his warm brown eyes and chiseled features. Even the reporter could barely stop herself from gawking as she heard him reply, "I have the great pleasure of wearing Armandy tonight."

"Well it suits you to the T. Actually, all of you look great!" she said as the camera zoomed back to focus on the three men. Classy, elegant, and every bit as charming as the next, it was a sight that no woman could ignore.

But even though the camera caught their good looks, it failed to catch the look that President Lory had given his prodigy from the corner of his eye. Ren, however, did notice and gave a barely visible nod as a sign of compliance. President Lory clapped his hands loudly and announced that they had other people to greet and that Lele should continue with her interviews. After a couple more friendly exchanges to the camera, Kenji clapped Ren on his shoulder with a smile that reassured the actor they were on good terms before making his way in the opposite direction.

Ren followed President Lory to the large glass windows on the other side of the dance floor and stood with his back to the glass. Exuding an air of calmness even though he felt far from it, Ren raised his eyes to meet his curious expression.

"How are you?" the president asked in a low voice.

Ren flashed a weak smile. Lying to President Lory was useless. The man had eyes that could see through every fallacy and trick in the book. The truth was the only route to take with him. "Tired," Ren finally admitted. "Drained…and oddly reminiscent."

"Reminiscent?" he repeated with quiet surprise. "Is that because of Kotonami-kun?"

Ren didn't answer. It sort of bruised his ego to have someone hit all the right marks as if he was transparent, let alone a woman he barely knew. Of course, he wasn't childish enough to deny the effect her words had on him, but Ren was still trying to figure out exactly what kind of effect it was.

Sensing that his pupil wasn't going to elaborate, President Lory shook his head and murmured, "Maybe I should tell her to see to you again since it seems like she succeeded in getting you to talk."

"You told her to come see me?" Ren asked.

"You would think," he said with a chuckle, "but in fact, she came to me on her own accord. Now, she didn't tell me the reason why she had to speak with you, but I can guess…unless of course, you would rather just tell me instead."

"There's nothing to say."

President Lory nodded. "Of course there isn't."

Bristling with irritation, Ren folded his arms across his chest and said, "What do you want me to do, sir?"

"Ren, don't you see it by now? It's not what I want you to do. It's about what _you_ want to do." He stared out across the floor and smiled gently. "The last time we talked you seemed much more adamant, but now, I can't help but notice you look somewhat weary. Are you regretting the choices you have made?"

The zing of guilt pulsed through his body. Like the many nights before, her hurt expression flashed in his mind. Feeling his heart wrench, Ren turned around and looked out at the cool night sky to avoid the president's gaze. He shouldn't feel regret. He shouldn't feel guilty, but it was all he could think about.

The minute Kanae had walked out that day, Ren finally understood the consequences of his actions. He was so focused on releasing his frustration and torment that he failed to see what it was doing to her. Ren had thought he lost the capability to care about how she would feel, but that was so far from the truth. From the beginning, he chose to ignore the war within himself every time he lashed out at her. He chose to ignore the dull pain in his heart whenever he saw her flinch. He chose to ignore the desire to brush away her fallen tears because she deserved his cruelty…didn't she?

She never once looked back when she left. She never provided any explanation as to why she had lied to him. She never consoled him at the time when he needed her most. So why? Why did he care? Why did he give a damn about how she felt? Why did he think about her all night and day? Why did he lose sleep, wondering if he had done wrong? Why did he reminisce about their past? Why did he still lo—?

He clenched his teeth together. No, not this—not now.

"Ren," the president began in a soft murmur, "tonight is supposed to be a celebration and I don't want to leave you in a darker mood than you already are. But let me just say one thing before I go." He turned to him with a kind expression. "Instead of thinking about how you should feel, focus on how you do feel and let those feelings guide you. They'll lead the way." Then with one tiny smile of reassurance, President Lory left his student to his now even more troubled thoughts.

Sighing at his retreating back, Ren leaned back against the pane and closed his eyes. He didn't think it was possible to be any more confused than he already was, but alas here he stood with more questions than answers. But just when he thought he was finally going to get some peace from this exhausting predicament, a familiar voice suddenly said, "He's right, you know."

Ren frowned, squeezing his eyes tighter. "Eavesdropping is not a favorable quality, Yashiro."

He simply shrugged and replied, "I overheard. I wasn't purposefully trying to hear." He held out a drink and stood beside his friend in a suit of classic black. "Although, he does have a point."

Ren opened his eyes and accepted the beverage, eyes locked on the bubbling champagne. "A point I can't follow, Yashiro," he said in a low voice.

"Why is that?"

"Because I'm not too sure what I'm feeling right now."

Yashiro stared out at the people on the floor with a thoughtful look, providing no more words.

Ren brought the glass to his lips and swallowed as a comfortable silence settled between the two of them. It was hard trying not to rationalize how he felt. He didn't want to risk letting his feelings take the forefront because he was unsure of what they would push him to do. Stability and composure were the two standards he stood by and they always called for strict thinking and planning before any actions could be taken. His heart, on the other hand, was not as predictable.

But President Lory's words must have somehow resonated with the young actor because an odd sense of serenity suddenly washed over him, numbing his mind from the usual dark and plaguing thoughts. In that one moment, Ren just felt the world around him, as if his desperate search for a solution was put on pause. It was a peace he failed to achieve and one he wasn't willing to forgo just yet.

And it was with this peace that Ren was able to watch her enter the room without trying to suppress the warm beating of his heart. The colors in the background slowly melted together until only she stood clear. In a dress of blue silk, she made her way through the crowd with a small smile at the corner of her lips. His eyes were riveted to the gentle sway of her body as the gown rippled around her like cool water. The dress did not cling to her body, but flowed over her skin in a sweet caress. Her hair was elegantly held up in a loose bun with golden tendrils curling around her face so that all spectators could see the brightness of her eyes.

Ren could feel the gravitating pull she had on him. His feet were already itching to close the distance between them. He couldn't help but stare at her, as if willing her to look at him. Fate must have heard his silent plea because she raised her head and locked eyes with his own. Feeling his heart thud to a halt, Ren could do nothing as he watched her smile fade to be replaced by an expression he didn't quite understand.

But what was more baffling was her refusal to look away. He had expected her to ignore him, maybe even glare at him. Yet instead, she picked up her feet and slowly made her way towards him, eyes glowing with determination.

Yashiro stiffened. This couldn't be good. As much as he wanted the two to talk it out, a place full of witnesses was the last thing they needed. But surprisingly enough, Ren seemed to be expectant. He actually straightened up, as if welcoming her approach.

But just as she was just a few feet away, Ryoko appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed her hand. Kyoko turned to her in surprise. She bowed low in greeting, asking an unheard question that had Ryoko smiling. She responded with a quick answer and then suddenly nodded her head at the entrance. Kyoko bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes furrowed in thought, but Ryoko didn't give her much time to decide before she managed to pull her in the opposite direction and away from a highly suspicious Ren.

* * *

Trailing after her, Kyoko said nothing as Ryoko led her down the empty hall. Their heels thumped against the thick rug in rhythm like a drum beat that pounded in her chest. Somewhat uneasy, she asked in a quiet voice, "Ryoko-san, is something wrong?"

She turned around and flashed her teeth. "Nothing! Everything's fine. I know it's a little weird to ask you to come with me, but girlfriends accompany each other to the restroom right?"

"Well yes," Kyoko agreed. _"But you look a little nervous."_

Ryoko approached the door at the end of the corridor and held it open. Kyoko silently walked through and felt her jaw drop to the floor. She couldn't decide if this was a bathroom or spa. It was so spacious! A golden tub in one corner, a glass shower in the other, a door that led to a personal sauna, and two ceramic sinks made up the best bathroom that she had ever seen.

Placing her clutch onto the sparkling counter in front of the vanity mirror, Ryoko rummaged through her purse and took out a lipstick. She looked into the mirror and smiled at Kyoko. "That gown looks really pretty on you."

"Thank you, Ryoko-san. As is yours. That's a lovely shawl you're wearing."

She touched the purple fabric around her neck and laughed. "It was a gift actually. I didn't think it would go with my dress, but I haven't worn it in a while so I thought it was well worth the risk."

"It's pretty," Kyoko commented as she stood beside her.

"You're really sweet. No wonder Ren is so fond of you."

Blinking in surprise at the change in topic, Kyoko looked down at her hands and said nothing.

"Kyoko, there's no need to deny it. I mean, anyone with eyes can see the connection between you two. You should be proud of it. Not many people can boast about having such a close relationship with someone as difficult as Ren. And here you are, a woman who clearly has a past with him. You must go way back."

"Is there something you would like to know, Ryoko-san?"

"I'm sorry?"

"There's a reason why you called me in here. Instead of prolonging the awkwardness of this conversation, why don't you make this easier for the both of us and just ask whatever it is you need to ask?"

Ryoko stared into her hard eyes through the mirror. Slowly, she put the lipstick down onto the counter and turned to face her, murmuring, "You like to jump the gun, don't you?"

"I like to get to the point."

"Very well," she replied with as she leaned back onto her hands. "Then let me ask: How do you feel about Ren?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to know exactly what I'm up against to prevent anything from ruining what Ren and I have."

"Am I such a threat?"

Ryoko bristled at the sound of her calm voice. It irritated her like no other, but forcing her mouth to move, she said, "No, more like a nuisance."

"Then you shouldn't have to worry about me, Ryoko-san. If what you both share is so grand, then I shouldn't have so much of an effect, should I?"

She let out a soft laugh and turned back to the mirror. Brushing a strand of hair from her gleaming eyes, she murmured, "You're right. Ren and I have built a special relationship over the last three years while you've been away. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I will not let you get in the way of what I've worked at for so long."

Ryoko breathed out gently. "Besides, it's not like we're not serious." Then with a gentle tug of her hand, the shawl around her neck fell onto the counter. Touching a hand to her slender neck, she faced Kyoko and smiled. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Kyoko couldn't speak. The blood was roaring through her ears like rapids until all she could hear was the heavy pounding of her heart. Her fingers twitched to touch its cool center, but they were digging painfully into the palm of her hand instead. Her mouth went completely dry. Her lungs wouldn't move and even though she felt like she was dying from within, her eyes still couldn't look away.

Ryoko smiled. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Ren really does have such good taste."

She placed her palms onto the cool marble, trying to find some anchor from the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to pull her under. Kyoko just couldn't speak.

Satisfied by her response, Ryoko hooked her shawl around her arm and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she made her way across the room. "I believe I've said all that I needed. Take your time, Kyoko. I hope to see you back at the party." And without another word, she walked out of the door.

Moving swiftly down the corridor, Ryoko quickly wrapped the scarf around her shoulders and found her way back into the ball room. The adrenaline was still pumping through her veins as she tried to catch her breath. Her hands trembled like leaves, but she refused to look back. She did what had to be done. She didn't regret a thing. This was the right choice. She couldn't sit back and let everything fall apart. She had worked too hard!

"Ryoko?"

She spun around in alarm to see Ren standing behind her. "Hey," she greeted breathlessly. "I was just going to look for you."

"What were you doing?"

"W-what?"

He stepped forward. "Where did you and—?" Ren suddenly stopped as his eyes fell down to her neck.

Feeling the blood drain from her face, Ryoko stumbled back at the dark cloud that washed over his normally cool features. Instinctively, she brought her hand to the chain.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked in a voice so cold that she felt a shiver run down her spine. "That isn't yours."

Cornered, she narrowed her eyes and stomped forward. "Then whose is it?" Ryoko demanded, unable to keep the shrillness from her trembling voice. "Who does this necklace belong to?"

"Me."

Ryoko froze as the steady footsteps approached her from behind. Turning around with wide eyes, she felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as soon as she met her fiery gaze.

Kyoko's eyes bored relentlessly into her own as she growled, "That necklace belongs to me."


	13. External Influences

Hello everyone! I must say, I really enjoyed reading all of your reviews. It was exciting to see everyone's reactions and your interest for this chapter. I hope I wrote it well. Thanks again! Please Read and Review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Ryoko swallowed the thick knot settling in the middle of her throat. She had worked in this industry long enough to have come across her fair share of intimidating people and had even successfully held her own every time. But as she stood trapped in Kyoko's blistering gaze, defeat had never seemed so close. The silver necklace burned against her skin, as if it knew that she wasn't its owner, as if in retaliation of her wearing it. But Ryoko had already gotten this far. She had already dug this deep, so biting down on her rising fear, she asked, "H-how is this yours?"

"That doesn't concern you," Kyoko answered in a hard voice.

"So why did you give it back?"

Ryoko turned to his voice in surprise, but realized he wasn't looking at her. He had only eyes for Kyoko. With his jaw clenched, he asked, "Why did you give it back to me?"

It was just like that day at the bakery, except somehow, his anger seemed even worse. The air around him vibrated with tension, stretched taut until it threatened to strangle Ryoko for air. But while she clammed up at his intensity, Kyoko courageously fired back with a steady strength of her own.

With gleaming amber eyes, she said, "I did no such thing."

Ren stepped forward. "You left it here the same day you—"

"Why would I return something you never gave me?"

His eyes widened. "What?"

Matching his footstep, she hardened her eyes and said, "You gave me the rose. Princess Rosa was just a happy coincidence, was it not?"

Like a jolt, Ren suddenly lost his voice. He couldn't answer.

Turning her head, Kyoko looked at Ryoko and felt the fire around her surge with more ferocity at the actress's surprised expression. It took everything she had to keep her tumultuous emotions down. It took everything she had to lower her voice and say, "With all due respect Ryoko-san, but that necklace wasn't his to give." Then in a swift motion, she wrapped her nimble fingers around the cold chain and met Ryoko's wide-eyed gaze with a coolness that chilled to the bone. "So I'll be taking back what's mine."

Kyoko meant the necklace. She was talking about the necklace, but there was something in her expression that convinced Ryoko her words were double-edged. Underneath that dangerously soft voice was a challenge and by the looks of her eyes it was one Kyoko was sure she'd win. There wasn't a hint of hesitancy or even a trace of reluctance. There was only an insurmountable power that shook Ryoko down to her core.

With a firm tug, the clasp instantly came undone and fell into the palm of her hand. Kyoko met Ren's eyes one last time before she turned around and smoothly walked across the floor.

He stared after her in silence, waiting for his breathing to slow. Too many things were going through his head at once, but anger was surprisingly not one of them. Whether it was because of her response or seeing her fight against him again like old times, Ren didn't feel the torment he usually felt whenever they spoke. In fact, he felt something that wasn't so easily pushed away this time. And as he watched her carefully move through the crowd, his heart began to beat faster in disagreement to the growing distance between them.

Blinking his eyes rapidly, the cloud of haze faded as he moved forward. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't even know what he was going to say to her. But letting her leave was the last thing he wanted. Letting her walk out was something he couldn't watch. Letting her go wasn't an option.

But just as he lifted his feet, Ryoko's hand clamped firmly around his wrist.

"You can't!"

He turned to look down at her.

Her bottom lip trembled at his hard expression as she pleaded, "Please don't do this, Ren. I'm sorry! It was a mistake! I didn't mean to—!"

"Why did you take it?"

She looked down at his arm.

"What were you trying to accomplish?"

"I was trying to save us!" Ryoko cried. "I lied to you. We weren't okay. I wasn't okay. I refuse to accept that you felt nothing for me. Everything was fine between us until she came along! Even if you told me it wasn't because her, I'm not stupid, Ren!"

She raised her glistening eyes to his and murmured, "I can't just sit around and do nothing. I'm still going to try just like I've always done these last three years. When I saw that necklace, it was my chance to fight back, my chance to prove that I can be the woman you want and keep the relationship we have."

"And what kind of relationship did we have?"

Ryoko didn't reply.

"One based on trust, respect, and honesty, correct?"

"Ren…"

He shook his head. "Despite how you felt Ryoko, she was never going to destroy what we have."

"But—"

"Ryoko, this isn't about her. This is about you and me."

"That's a lie and you know it! Nothing would have changed if she didn't come back! You would still be looking at me!"

"I am looking at you. I have always seen you, Ryoko. But the woman I see now is not the one I've known these past few years."

Feeling like he slapped her in the face, Ryoko stumbled back and wrapped her shaky arms around her torso. She couldn't even get herself to look at him. Filled with shame, torment, and worst of all guilt, Ryoko pressed her lips together to prevent the tears from spilling from her eyes.

"You are an integral part of my life, Ryoko, but if I can't trust you, then the relationship you want to preserve isn't worth saving."

Then without sparing her another glance, Ren walked through the moving crowd. With every step he took, he pushed thoughts of Ryoko farther and farther to the back of his mind. There were more important matters at hand, someone he needed to speak to, someone he needed to explain everything to. Ren politely dismissed all the questions about his early departure and ignored the pleas for him to stay. Although his head told him to stop and think, his heart pushed him forward and instead of fighting it this time, Ren allowed it to take the lead. He allowed his feelings to take the lead.

What was he going to accomplish when he caught up with her? What was he going to say when they stood face to face? What he was going to feel when he stared into her eyes again?

Ren didn't know, but a part of him didn't care. Going on impulse gave him the luxury to forget about consequences. It gave him the excuse to look for her without worrying about how this would affect his choices later. Right now, all that mattered was that he had to right the misunderstanding she must be having. She was walking away with all the wrong answers. If anything, he had to correct this. They didn't need another misunderstanding. They didn't need another reason to be against each other.

He reached the front door and scanned his surroundings with rapid eyes. Jogging down the front steps, Ren could feel his heart sink deeper every time he met the gaze of someone who wasn't her. Cars and limos were still pulling up to the house, but not a single one was leaving. Nobody was walking away from the front entrance except for him. She couldn't have gotten far.

Praying that she didn't take a cab, Ren made his way towards the valet and was going to ask for his vehicle when a voice from behind asked, "You're not really going to go after her, are you?"

He fell still. The blood that was pumping through his veins just seconds before suddenly came to a halt. Feeling his skin prickle from an old irritation that he hadn't felt in a while, Ren took in a deep breath before he turned around.

It was amazing how quickly a time span of three years seemed so short. Ren couldn't remember the last time he had seen him, but the rising contempt and the black hatred that clouded his good judgment were not so easily forgotten. "What are you doing here?"

Sho made a small grunting noise as he pushed himself off the wall. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a smirk upon his face, he said, "You know, I thought this party was going to be fun but from the looks of her running, it must have been pretty bad. Was that your doing, Tsuruga?"

Ren's eyes grew in surprise. "You know she's back?"

Sho laughed, replying, "Well, considering I met up with her last week, I must have known she's returned, don't I?"

The instant gratification of seeing his face pale was nothing like Sho had ever experienced. If he wasn't so insistent on being cool and confident, then he would have shown exactly how much he enjoyed hitting the actor where it hurts. This guy was always in control, always sure of himself that Sho couldn't help but want to knock him off of his high horse. He wanted to prove that he wasn't the only one capable of gaining the upper hand.

Ren tried not to think of them seeing each other. He tried not to think about her talking to him, about her putting in the effort to keep in touch with him when she had left him bitter and angry. Ren tried to hold off his anger. He really did.

Grinning, Sho folded his arms over his chest and said, "From the looks of your face, I guess she never told you."

"What you both discuss is none of my business," Ren forced himself to murmur. "I have no reason to care."

"A valiant response if not for your desperate attempt to run after her."

His eyes flashed in fury. Balling his hands into tight fists until he lost all the feeling in his fingers, Ren said in a low voice, "Whatever you came here to do, Fuwa, I suggest you go and do it before things get out of hand."

Chuckling, but also taking a step back, Sho shook his head and said, "Ah, a sore spot, I see. Well, it may come as a surprise to you, Tsuruga, but I didn't come here to see her. I actually wanted to talk to you."

That was twice now. Ren wasn't someone who was so easily surprised, but Sho was doing a damn good job at it. "About what?"

"The event from three years ago."

"How would you—?"

"A lot more than you'd think," Sho answered. "Like for instance, how you two met up that day, what you talked about, how she reacted, and even more importantly why she left."

Ren's heart stopped as he watched his blue eyes gleam with victory. "You know the reason why?"

Sho smirked. "I am the reason why."

* * *

"Mo, how long are you going to stay in here?"

Kyoko didn't answer. She just curled her head into her chest, tightening the covers around her body until she was as small as she felt. The memory from last night wouldn't leave her alone. Even though Princess Rosa was rightfully where she belonged (Kyoko ran a finger over the cool gem upon her neck), the image of Ryoko wearing the necklace was twisting her stomach into painful knots.

When she walked out of that ballroom last night, she was too furious to think straight. She quickly made her way to the exit, startling a few people along the way at the flaming look in her eyes, but Kyoko could have cared less. She needed to get some air. She needed space or she was going to do something she knew she would regret.

When she finally arrived home, Kyoko threw the front door open with everything she had and slammed the necklace onto the coffee table before dropping her head into her hands. As she sat there in the silent darkness, trying to slow her rapid breathing, the fire within her eventually died until a wave of misery ebbed its way through her consciousness. She would have done anything to stay angry, but she couldn't…not when there wasn't any good reason why.

Of course he would find someone else. Of course he would move on. Although the sting of betrayal was still raw, Kyoko couldn't be mad. After everything she had done to him, how could she possibly be mad?

"Kyoko."

…

"Kyoko, I'll give you three seconds to come out from under there before I get really irritated. One. Two. Thr—!"

The wool blanket slowly moved down until her tousled hair came into view. Kyoko glanced up at Kanae with eyes that were somewhat swollen, but her cheeks were completely dry. "When did you get back from the party?" she mumbled in a thick voice.

"Around 11 o'clock or so. You?"

"Nine."

"That's a little early, even by your standards."

Kyoko sat up and combed her fingers through her tangled hair. "I didn't want to stick around."

"Did something happen?"

She shook her head.

"Were you able to talk to Tsuruga-san?"

Feeling the knots tighten at the sound of his name, she looked down at the palm of her hands and murmured, "I left before I could say anything."

Kanae nodded once. "I see. So are you going to try again later?"

"Aren't you going to ask me what happened?"

She shrugged. "You don't want to talk about it and I'm not one to push."

"You pushed the other day."

Glaring, Kanae stuck a finger in her alarmed face and said, "If you plan on running again, don't ever think about coming back, do you understand?"

Kyoko quickly wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Moko-san. I didn't mean that. I just...I'm sorry."

Kanae sighed. "It's fine," she said as she gently shrugged off her embrace. "Just get your butt out of this bed and do something productive. You're going to get fat."

"I haven't even eaten anything."

"There's breakfast on the table."

"You cooked, Moko-san?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Just because I don't want to be a housewife doesn't mean I don't know how to be one. Now get up and clean your face. You look like a mess." Kanae swiftfully flicked Kyoko's forehead once before she walked out of the room.

Rubbing her forehead, Kyoko closed her eyes for a few more minutes before she swung her legs off the side of the bed and made her way into the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, washing her hair, and changing into real clothes, she felt "together" enough to tackle the long day ahead that she knew would befall her once Kanae left to her meeting with the director.

It was a Saturday morning and Kyoko had no plans at all except for wallowing in her grief and waiting for the numbness to take over. Realizing that she couldn't stomach much of a breakfast anyway, she silently joined Kanae on the couch with only a glass of orange juice in her hand. Kanae was checking her phone for emails as Kyoko stared at the television set, trying not to think about last night, but failing miserably.

"I see you're wearing the necklace again."

Kyoko didn't say anything as her hand instinctively grasped the chain.

Kanae opened her purse and placed her cell back into its pocket. "Any particular reason as to why?" she asked, still not looking at her.

"I missed it," Kyoko admitted in a soft voice.

"Then I guess last night wasn't a total waste of time."

Raising her head, she looked at Kanae in silent alarm. Her friend scoffed at her expression and gestured at Princess Rosa. "It's a good step in the right direction. At least you're not trying to hide how you feel anymore."

Kyoko smiled weakly. "It's not by my own resolve, Moko-san."

"It's not the means that matters," she said as she hooked her bag over her shoulder and got to her feet. "It's the result. You'll be alright by yourself?"

She nodded. "When will you be back?"

"Around nine or so. If you need anything, just give me a call."

Kanae picked up the house keys from off the table and was about to open the door when Kyoko suddenly hugged her from behind.

"Thank you, Moko-san."

"For what?"

"For worrying and caring about me. I don't know what I would do without you."

Kanae rolled her eyes, but placed a warm hand over Kyoko's. "If you don't do stupid things, then I wouldn't have to worry or care. So get your act together."

Laughing softly, Kyoko murmured, "Why? I like you fretting over me."

Kanae growled.

"I'm kidding, Moko-san. I'll fix this. I promise."

"Good, now let me go before I miss my cab." Kanae turned the handle and looked over her shoulder. "Try not to burn down the house, alright? I'll see you later."

After giving her one last good-bye, Kyoko closed the door behind her and leaned against the wood. She stood there for a few minutes before she let out a breath of relief. _"So far so good,"_ Kyoko thought as she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, thankful that her emotions weren't overpowering her just yet. She didn't have much of an appetite, but she wanted to keep her hands moving. Having something to do will help with her nerves. Opening random cabinets and counting how many spoons were in the drawer, she finally found herself back into the living room where she fluffed the pillows and straightened the cushions.

She sat down upon the couch and curled her knees to her chest. The feeling of restlessness wouldn't leave her. Maybe this was her heart's way of telling her that sitting here and doing nothing was wrong, but what could she do when she felt so helpless?

Last night was a blatant sign that he had moved on. Last night he proved that there was nothing left. But what killed her the most was that she still had hope. There was a part of her that still refused to give up. Kyoko pressed her hands over her ears, as if it would help to stem the misery from swallowing her whole.

But just when the quiet buzzing was starting to calm her, a knock on the door pulled her out of the trance. Thinking Kanae must have forgotten something, Kyoko quickly got to her feet and unbolted the lock.

"Did you—?"

She stopped breathing.

Time could have grinded to a halt. The world could have stopped spinning and burst into flames and Kyoko wouldn't have noticed a thing. She was too busy trying to breathe, too busy trying to slow her heart that felt like it was going to burst within her chest, too busy staring into his hazel eyes.

"Are you busy?" he asked in soft voice.

Kyoko felt her head move side to side. It was as if she had lost all control of her body. She was just reacting to his movements, unable to make any decisions of her own. His entire body took up the doorway, exuding a power much like last night, but this time, he was too close. He was standing much too close. She couldn't think. She couldn't focus.

She didn't even hear his question. She barely registered the movement of his lips. All she could see was his hand, his outstretched hand that was held out towards her.


	14. Their Desperate Hearts

Hi everyone! So this is a much earlier than usual update, but I was going on a writing spree and decided to upload this chapter as soon as possible. Hope you like it! Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko sat in the seat of his car with her hands clasped tightly together, her skin stretched taut over her white knuckles. She didn't even look up at the window to see where he was taking her. Even though the curiosity was practically burning a hole through her stomach, she was too afraid of making the wrong move. What if she said something that made him angry? What if she did something that made him regret asking her to come with him?

She couldn't take the risk. Kyoko didn't want to do anything that would ruin this moment. She had failed to talk to him yesterday and by some sort of miracle he was now only a foot away from her. Although a part of her felt uneasy from this random visit, she decided to take this chance in stride and do what she set out to do. Today would be the day. Today would be the day she will tell him. Today would be the day where she will properly explain herself, for both his and her sake.

Peeking up at his profile, Kyoko ran a sweeping gaze over his strong jaw line, the curve of his slender nose, his hair that was now combed down instead of swept out of his face, the intent look of his eyes on the road, and his masculine hands that were wrapped firmly around the steering wheel. She looked around the car and felt nostalgia raining down like a storm. Sitting in this seat brought back so many memories, some she cherished and others she would rather forget.

Unnerved, Kyoko quickly glanced out the window as if he could hear her thoughts. She didn't want to think about that day. Not now, not yet.

They had driven for almost thirty minutes and he still hadn't said a word to her, not like she had said anything herself. She was still trying to clear the haze within her mind. Kyoko could only remember reaching for his outstretched hand like a mindless child and relishing in the softness of his skin as he led her out of the apartment. Following him into the elevator and towards his car was just one giant blur. She had even forgotten to write Kanae a note to explain where she was, but thankfully she had her phone on her so she was able to shoot her a quick text in the car.

She looked down at her clothes and wondered if she was dressed properly for wherever he was taking her. While she wore a simple outfit of white denim shorts and a delicate yellow blouse, he was wearing a dark blue long-sleeve dress shirt and a pair of grey slacks. She felt so underdressed.

But he didn't say anything about her outfit. In fact, he hadn't looked her way at all. As soon as he closed the passenger door and got behind the wheel, an odd silence settled over their heads. The quiet sound of the rumbling engine thankfully masked the rapid beating of her heart that was bound to go into cardiac arrest any minute. Kyoko was as never as hyper aware of her actions as she was right at that moment. Feeling like she was treading on ice, Kyoko silently brought a hand to her neck and touched Princess Rosa for much-needed encouragement to keep herself from cracking at the seams.

Not realizing that he had noticed the movement of her hand, Kyoko nearly jumped thirty feet into the air when he murmured, "I didn't give her the necklace."

Staring at his eyes that were still focused on the road, Kyoko blinked a few times before she settled back against the seat and looked ahead. She didn't know what to say. Of course a part of her was thrilled that he hadn't given Princess Rosa to her, but saying "thank you" didn't seem right. It would imply that he held back for her and Kyoko was more than sure that that was far from the truth. Still, she could feel her heart lighten with every breath she took.

The only thing she could do was nod. She couldn't tell him that she was happy. She couldn't tell him that she was relieved. She couldn't tell him how she felt…not when she still had so much to explain.

After that, nothing else was exchanged. No sneaky glances, no uttered sounds, just a thick cloud of unease that Kyoko tried to ignore. She kept her eyes on the zooming scenery, but wasn't familiar with any of the roads or buildings. Eventually, they drove out of the bustling city and down a scenic route with grassy hills on one side and the sparkling ocean on the other. Confused, Kyoko sat up and swiveled her head around.

"Where are—?" She cleared her dry throat. "Where are we going?"

"It's just up ahead."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Kyoko looked forward and saw tall trees in the distance. The sun was high above the bright blue sky that was completely cloudless. It was such a beautiful day outside and plenty of people were probably going to be down by the beach, but when she gazed out at the twinkling sea, there wasn't a soul in sight. In fact, this place didn't have a single sign of human life. There weren't any residential homes, business buildings, or even road signs.

With her curiosity piqued, Kyoko sat back against the leather seat and focused on the greenery that grew thicker as they drove farther down. They passed under an umbrella of thick branches and leaves before they made their way to a meadow of pale flowers of blue and pink. Kyoko's fairy tale radar went crazy as she watched in awe at the beautiful sight that unraveled before her. Maybe it was just her raving imagination, but everything seemed to twinkle like diamonds here as they basked in the light of the sun's golden rays. To her delight, the car finally stopped at the bottom of a hill where a large wooden house stood from above.

Kyoko opened the door in a trance-like state and stared up at the house. It wasn't the mansion she expected to find in a place like this, but the warmth of the wooden structure and the tall glass windows exuded a similar sense of elegance. She heard his door close from behind and the crunch of his shoes upon the gravel. Waiting with a pounding heart, she felt rather than saw him stand beside her.

She kept her eyes on the building, but her eyes didn't register a thing. Kyoko was too busy waiting for him to speak. And just when she was going to ask from pure anxiety, he suddenly murmured, "This place is mine."

Kyoko turned to him in surprise, but he didn't look at her. With a slight nod of his head, he made his way up the cobbled steps as she trailed behind him. Surrounded by daisies, cherry blossoms, and swaying trees, it felt as if she was transported into another world. This place was beautiful. If she wasn't so nervous, she would have stopped and admired the flora. But the man in front of her had taken all of her attention.

If she was confused before, she was downright going insane now. Kyoko didn't understand what was going on. Why would he take her here? This place was obviously his private sanctuary and for him to allow her entrance to such a personal part of his life seemed out of character—at least for the man he was now. Wary as he led her to the front door, Kyoko stopped a few feet away as he took out an old-looking key and turned the elegant handle.

The sight that greeted her was just as jaw-dropping as the scenery outside. Unlike his condo that was decorated with black and cold stainless steel, this place was filled to the rim with warm tones of brown, red, and gold that were strewn among suede couches, massive rugs, a stone fireplace, and a quaint wooden kitchen. Without even waiting for his cue, Kyoko walked through the doorway and looked up at the high ceiling that had colossal wooden beams stretching for what seemed like miles. To the side, there was a simple winding staircase that led to a second floor with a balcony that looked down at the first.

When the door closed behind her with a soft click, Kyoko turned to him and smiled a smile she hoped was controlled. "This place is beautiful."

"I bought it over a year ago," he replied in a voice that caused a ripple to travel down her spine. "It took some time to be furnished, but the wait was worth it."

"Do you live here?"

"No, I only come here when I need to."

Kyoko turned her head to the living room. Oddly, a strong sense of sadness washed over her as she imagined him in this place all alone. She could almost see him sitting on the couch, staring at the burning fire with a glass of his favorite cognac in hand. She imagined him hunched over, his hair draping over his forehead to conceal the depth of his eyes.

"How often?" she murmured in a softer voice than intended.

He shrugged casually, but the hard look in his face said otherwise. "How about something to drink?" he asked instead.

But she hadn't even responded before he already made his way into the kitchen. It wasn't as big as the one back at his condo, but roomy enough for Kyoko to put enough distance between them. The uneasy feeling she had had earlier intensified as she watched him pour two glasses of water. Something was wrong. This visit wasn't simply a visit. This was something else.

The air around him may not have quivered with anger and his face may not have hardened from lines of frustration, but Kyoko couldn't fight the sense of foreboding that choked her like thick chains. She stood rooted to the spot at his approach as he handed her a glass. She kept her eyes glued to the crystal clear water, trying to control the shaking of her hand.

He stepped back a few feet until she was leaning against the granite counter and he against the fridge. Kyoko waited. She could feel it coming. The heavy silence was starting to lift. Holding back her desire to squeeze her eyes shut, she finally raised her head and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Why did you leave yesterday?"

Kyoko gripped the glass with tense fingers and replied, "I didn't feel it was right to stay."

"Why? Because Ryoko was there?"

"If I didn't leave, then the atmosphere would have gotten uncomfortable."

"I see, so you were thinking in the best interest of others."

She stared into his eyes as if she could somehow find the reasoning behind this conversation, but found nothing except darkness. "I'm sorry if I caused problems," Kyoko murmured.

He laughed darkly. "Out of all things to apologize for, you decide on that?"

Kyoko didn't answer.

Then in a low voice, he said, "Although I don't agree with what Ryoko did, I can't say I don't understand. She was only doing what she felt was right."

Crossing his feet at the ankles, he continued, "For all these years, Ryoko has been nothing but good to me. She has been supportive, kind, and helped me forget even if it was only for a short while. For me, Ryoko made these last few years bearable."

He looked around the kitchen and smiled grimly. "But even with all of her patience, I was unable to see her differently. I wanted to grow to love her. I wanted to feel for her the same way she felt about me, but I couldn't. It was unfair and it was cruel, but no matter how much time I spent with her, I couldn't change how I felt. I wallowed in past moments, replaying the same day over and over again until I grew sick of the memory."

"It was weakness that kept me up at night. It was the desire to fix what had gone wrong and it was the certainty that I could have done something different that made me sink further into self-doubt." Letting out a harsh laugh, he ran a hand through his hair and whispered, "I was so sure that it was my fault, so sure that I ruined what could have been. Why I placed the blame on myself, I never understood."

"Maybe I assumed that if it was my doing, then I could find the solution to return everything back to the way it was. Maybe it was my way of trying to hold onto the last shreds of hope before the anger started to fester inside of me."

"Being angry," he murmured with downcast eyes, "was easier. Letting the frustration and contempt grow helped to blind me from the pain. When angry, I didn't have to think about anyone but myself. It freed me from having to contemplate and wonder. But anger wasn't always so forgiving. The more I allowed myself to fall into hatred, the more helpless I felt." He shook his head and looked into her eyes. "Even you must think what a pathetic fool I've been."

Kyoko tried to control the breath that escaped her lips, but it came out in a shaky gasp as ache clawed up her throat. She couldn't say anything as she took in the hateful look in his eyes. But this time, she welcomed his malice. She wanted him to hurt her, to say anything he needed to relinquish the pain that was so obvious in his gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He laughed coldly as his fingers dug into the palm of his hand. "For what? For my weakness or for my stupidity?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I know I hurt—"

"Hurt?" he repeated quietly. "No, it hurt when I fell in love with you and realized that nothing could happen between us. It hurt when I forced myself to stay away from you because I was afraid of what it would do to us. It hurt when I thought of you drifting farther and farther away from me because of my cowardice."

"But telling you the truth didn't hurt. It was a mistake. If only you had hurt me, then I would have stomached the pain. If only you had told me you didn't love me from the start, then I would have moved on with my life. But instead, you played me like a fool."

The room was starting to spin. Kyoko couldn't believe how fast everything was falling apart. He had it all wrong. He had it all wrong!

"No, that's not what I—!"

"It doesn't matter now!" he shouted, his composure slipping through the cracks. "I spent too many years trying to figure out why you kept up the charade. I spent night after sleepless night trying to understand why you didn't tell me from the beginning. Were you trying to spare my feelings? Did I not give you a chance to voice how you truly felt? Did I push myself upon you? Was I in the wrong?"

"No," Kyoko stammered as she stepped forward with her hand shaking uncontrollably. "It wasn't you. It was never you."

He pinned her with his hard eyes and said, "Although I hated how you lied to me, I knew that deep down a part of me still blamed myself. It was only up until last night that I finally knew the truth."

She felt her eyes grow wide at the venomous look upon his face. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Her knees trembled violently as she watched his features transform into a mask of pure malevolence.

"It never crossed my mind that it all boiled down to him. It never crossed my mind that he was the reason why. I was too idiotic, too self-absorbed, to realize it was never about you and me. It was and always will be about him." He balled his hand into a tight fist. "But at least Fuwa had the decency to tell me the truth. Tell me, were you ever going to tell me that you still love him?"

The strength in her fingers vanished. In slow motion, Kyoko watched her glass drop to the floor and smash into pieces. Water spilled over her bare feet and shards of glass slid across the marbled tiles. Time suddenly slowed to a crawl as Kyoko knelt down onto her knees. It was only on instinct that she began to pick up the broken pieces and place it into the palm of her trembling hand. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what else to do.

She heard him place his glass into the sink with a thud and walk towards her. Leaning down onto his calves, he reached down and picked up a large shard by her foot. Kyoko stared at his face, but couldn't see anything as he murmured, "Was it fun? Was it amusing to see me pour my heart out to you when you knew what was going to happen?"

"_No."_

"Did you enjoy watching me fall for your lies?" he grounded out, his hand wrapped tightly around the jagged glass.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said as she dropped the sharp pieces onto the floor. "Stop."

"You must have," he murmured, gripping it tighter and tighter.

"Tsuruga-san!"

A small trail of blood suddenly began to trickle down his wrist, seeping into the sleeve of his shirt. Desperate now, she dug her nails into the slits of his fingers and pulled. "Tsuruga-san, stop! You're bleeding!"

But his hold wouldn't weaken. The blood wouldn't stop.

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko cried, the tears stinging in the corner of her eyes as she pulled with all her might. "Stop! Stop! Tsuruga-san! REN!"

With a powerful wrench, she pulled his fingers apart and the bloodied shard dropped to the floor. But just as she reached for his injured hand, she suddenly felt his other fingers curl around her neck and swing her away from the bed of sharp glass. The back of her head hit the palm of his hand as her body was pressed between him and the icy floor.

Kyoko's heart thudded against her chest as she stared up at his face.

"Why do you care?" he murmured with eyes blazing like burning coals. "Why do you suddenly care if I'm hurt now? What does it matter?"

She shook her head.

His eyes flashed in white fury. "Where was your compassion before?" he demanded, the volume of his voice rising higher and higher. "Where was this compassion when you left without an explanation? Where was your compassion when you got on that damn plane to leave me confused and alone? Where was—?"

Then in a movement he never would have predicted, she fisted the front of his shirt into the palm of her hands and yanked his lips down to hers.


	15. Her Confession

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. It was really fun to read your thoughts. I hope I continue to make you proud with this one. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

He shouldn't have given in. He shouldn't have let it continue because this would only come to confuse him later. This would only tangle his already stretched nerves. This would only blind him to the anger he felt for her. But like the many times before, Ren was weak.

As soon as their lips touched, he lost all ability to think. He lost his ability to rationalize. With her slender body pressed warmly against his, with her hands fisted at his chest, and with her lips moving passionately against his own, Ren could do nothing but give himself in to her. In a second flat, he couldn't remember why he was so livid or why he wanted to push her away with such desperation.

Instead, he fisted his hand roughly within her silky hair and pulled her tight against him. Kyoko gasped, parting her lips as he delved further into her mouth.

A delicious shiver traveled down her spine, setting every part of her body ablaze. Her every heartbeat, her every thought, and every zing of pleasure that pulsed through her body were all about him. Kyoko had no idea what she was thinking when she pulled him down. In fact, she was sure she wasn't thinking at all. But the smell of his skin and the intensity of his eyes robbed her of her focus. She kissed him on impulse.

But when he responded, when he pushed his leg between her own, and when he deepened the kiss with a ferocity that stole her breath away, Kyoko could barely hold herself together. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She felt so out of control, but her hands gripped his shirt with confidence and held onto him as if he was going to disappear.

A groan rumbled up his throat when she moved her hands to his neck and dragged her fingers over his heated skin and then through his tousled hair. Her every touch lit him on fire. The taste of her, the velvety feel of her lips, and the sounds she made as he pressed her into the floor fueled the desire he had felt for this woman from the minute he laid his eyes on her. With her so close, how could he ever deny her? With her so warm and sweet, how could he ever push her away? With her so passionate, how could he ever reject the feelings that flooded through his veins?

It was only when the physical need for air surfaced that they leaned away from each other, their breaths heavy and quick. She stared up at him with glossy eyes that seemed to stare straight into his soul. But as the seconds ticked by, reality slowly trickled like ice through his frenzied thoughts. His fingers loosened in her hair and he began to lift himself off when she suddenly placed a hand against his cheek.

Ren held himself back from leaning into her touch. Just the movement of her chest rising up and down against his own was already muddling his thoughts. Any closer and he was sure he was going to throw his resolve out the window and embrace the torturous want of continuing what she started.

Was this her way of confusing him further? Was this her way of making it up to him? Was this another calculated move?

Kyoko must have noticed the direction of his thoughts because she suddenly opened her mouth and murmured, "I know I have no right to ask you after everything I've done and I know that these words are far too late, but please give me a chance. Please let me explain and afterwards, I swear I won't stop you from leaving. But please, please listen to me."

She could barely take in a breath as she saw his eyes flicker with uncertainty. Blood roared in her ears and her heart was beating so fast it was hard to discern from one heartbeat to the next. But she didn't look away. Kyoko waited for his response, praying that he will give her a chance, praying that she still had time before he walked away from her for good.

Ren didn't say a word. He didn't nod. He didn't even shake his head, but his silence said more than enough.

Feeling a breath of relief escape her lips, Kyoko felt her body relax against the floor, not realizing just how tense she was. But at the slight movement of her shoulder, she suddenly saw him wince. Kyoko turned her head to the side and saw his bloodied hand splayed against the cold tile.

"It's fine," he bit out as the pain sharpened.

"You're still bleeding!" She gently but firmly pushed him to a sitting position and held his injured hand between both of hers. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

He nodded to the top of the fridge.

Rising to her feet, Kyoko stood upon her tip toes and grabbed the white plastic box from off the shelf. She placed it onto the counter and got out a roll of bandages, ointment, a towel, and disinfectant. Ignoring his silent protest as she pulled him beside her, she gripped his hand in an unyielding grasp and began to wipe the blood from his fingers and knuckles.

Ren stood still and looked down at her concentrated expression. Her need to care for others was still intact even after all this time. The way her eyebrows were furrowed with concern, the hard set of her mouth, and the steady movement of her hands made it hard to for him to restore the cold distance. When she treated him with such tenderness, he could only remember the many reasons why he loved her, why she drove him insane, why out of all people in this world, she was the only one who could move him like no other.

But his trip down memory lane was short-lived when she suddenly whispered,

"If he told you I was affected by his confession, that's true." Kyoko looked up into his hardened eyes and felt her heart quiver. "If he told you he affected my choice to leave, that's true. But if he told you I left because I loved him, that's a lie."

Unrolling the cotton bandage, she wrapped the linen around the gash, paying careful attention not to apply too much pressure. She tried to keep herself calm, but the shaking of her knees was making it hard to focus. Kyoko had never felt so afraid.

But she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. The question that had kept them apart all these years settled into the air around them.

_Then why did you leave?_

"That night in your car was the happiest memory I've held onto all these years. It's what made staying in New York endurable because deep within my heart, I never wanted to leave. But I didn't have enough courage to stay. I was too afraid to face the weakness that I knew I had all along."

Keeping her eyes on his hand that began to blur, Kyoko whispered, "When you told me you loved me, I stayed silent not because I had nothing to say, but because I had too much to say. Too overcome with emotion and too stunned that everything was finally going my way left me speechless. It was the happiest I felt in the longest time."

"But I was so focused on us that I failed to realize that remnants of my past wouldn't let me move on so easily. You know how desperately I tried to beat him, how much I dedicated my life to him. And you also know better than anyone how hurt I was."

Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes until the colors melted together. Kyoko bit down on the ache that rippled through her body as she tried to slow her breathing. She couldn't stop now. She couldn't clam up now. Instinctively gripping his hand tighter, she squeezed her eyes shut and said, "But no matter how cruel he was, a part of me still wanted him, a part of me still loved him. I was so disgusted with how I reacted when he confessed. I was moved and for a split second, I was even happy. To realize that after all of these years I was still the same stupid girl from the past depressed me like no other."

"But the worst part of all was realizing how unfair I was to you," she admitted as the tears dripped onto her knuckles. "How could I say that I love you when I still had feelings for the one man you despised? How could I tell you that my heart beat the same way for him like it does for you? Even if it was only a tiny part of me, the feeling was still there."

"I couldn't tell you I love you and not say that I loved him too. I didn't want to lie to you, but I knew that if you realized how weak I was…"

She breathed in sharply and shook her head. "When he tossed me aside, it was the worst moment of my life. I felt defeated—useless. But with you, with you it would be different. If you were to walk away from me, if you were to turn your back on me..." Her heart stuttered. "I wouldn't know how to get back up again."

"So unable to face my cowardice and unable to come clean, I chose to run. In pure selfishness I figured that if I walked away first, I could heal. I knew that I would hurt you and that you would hate me, but at the time, I would rather have that than for you to feel disgusted with me."

Her shoulders slumped. "The pain of missing you, however," she continued in a soft whisper, "was stronger than I anticipated. There were nights when I would wake up crying and nights when I didn't feel anything it at all, just empty and hollow. As days passed, regret was suddenly common."

"I had no right to miss you. I had no right to continue loving you, but at the same time I also had no right to lie to you. After everything you've done for me, after how honest you were with me, I had no right to hurt you the way I did. I can never tell you how sorry I am, how I wished that I could go back and change my decision. But at least now, you'll know for certain why I don't deserve you and why I'm not someone worth loving."

She waited to for him to wrench his hand away from her weak grasp, for him to walk out without another look back. Kyoko hardened her heart for the pain that would follow. She prepared to be broken, to fall apart until there was nothing left. It was nothing less than what she deserved.

"Do you still love him?"

Kyoko slowly raised her eyes to his. He didn't look angry or gentle, only distant, as if the words she said had no effect at all. But she shook her head just the same.

"Why?"

"Because he's not the one I thought of these last three years."

"And what did you think of?"

Her eyes watered as a weak smile curved at her lips. "If you were healthy, if you were eating properly, if you were taking the necessary breaks between sets like you should, if you remembered that buying food from the vending machine was still bad for you, if you were sleeping well, if you had finally moved on, if you had forgotten all the bad I've done to you."

Ren stepped forward and looked down into her eyes. "I am healthy," he replied in a low voice. "I cook when I can, I don't take all the breaks I should, I still snack from the vending machine, nights are usually sleepless, and I haven't forgotten a thing."

Kyoko's heart suddenly froze when he touched her wet cheek.

"But that doesn't mean I'm over you," he murmured as he ran a thumb over her frozen lips. "That doesn't mean I haven't thought about you, missed you, wanted you."

She shook her head back and forth, refusing to believe the words that left his lips. This was a dream. A lie. This wasn't real. None of this was real.

But when he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, Kyoko felt her heart tighten within her chest as he whispered, "I know how big of an impact he had on your life. I know how much you loved him and I know that you never hated him completely. I knew all of that, but I fell in love with you anyway."

The tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt the knot in her throat thicken.

"Although I hated the role he had in your life, that didn't change the way I felt. I was in love with you and I was determined to have a bigger role because I cared about you more than he ever did. And even though you leaving hurt me in ways I could never explain, what hurts more is the lack of faith you had in me. Were my words that frail to you? Did they mean so little?"

"No," she insisted, stepping closer as he stared into her anxious gaze. "It's not that! I just…" Kyoko stopped and looked down at her feet. She didn't want to voice her fear. Love had already failed her once; who was to say it wouldn't fail her again?

Suddenly, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face. "Am I him?" he asked softly.

She shook her head.

"Do you think I'll hurt you, like him?"

"No."

"Do you think I love you, like him?"

Her tears welled. "No."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"Losing you."

His gaze softened as he gently dipped her head back. "You're not," he whispered. Then with a tenderness she had missed for so long, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Driven by understanding and riddled with compassion, his kiss flooded her senses with a relief that brought her to her knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against his chest. To feel him hold her with such care and possessiveness made her heart pound like a drum.

And when he leaned back a fraction of an inch, he murmured against her lips, "I love you, Kyoko, and I always will."

She let out a tearful smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. Feeling lighter than she had ever felt before, Kyoko breathed in deeply and whispered, "I love you, Ren."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again," he demanded in a soft voice as he lifted her tiny figure into his arms.

"I lo—"

But he had already silenced her with another searing kiss as he slowly carried her up the stairs.

* * *

"KOTONAMI-SAN! KOTONAMI-SAN! KOTO—!"

She pulled the door open with eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you trying to bust down my door?" she demanded angrily.

"Never mind that! Is Kyoko-chan here?"

"No, she left."

"Did she say with whom?"

Kanae rolled her eyes, unfazed by the pitchy tone of his voice. "No, but who else would it be?"

"Oh my god," Yashiro moaned as he leaned against the doorframe. "I can't believe she would leave with him. Doesn't she realize how angry he is with her? This can't be good! THIS CAN'T BE GOOD!"

"Relax. I'm sure everything is fine."

"You didn't see him, Kotonami-san! After the party on Friday, it was like his eyes were spitting fire! Only one person could elicit such a dramatic response from him and that person has to be Kyoko-chan! Although I'm quite certain Ren will never hurt her, the emotional turmoil he could inflict is too terrifying to even imagine!"

"Wow, you have such a high opinion of him," Kanae pointed out as she placed a hand upon her hip.

"This isn't a joke, Kotonami-san! Did she mention where they went?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Her text just said he was taking her out for a while."

"When was this?"

"Yesterday."

"YESTERDAY?" Yashiro pulled at his normally neat hair until it stood like unruly grass on top of his head. "AREN'T YOU EVEN THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED? SHE HASN'T BEEN HOME, FOR GOD'S SAKES! HOW ARE YOU NOT WORRIED?"

Kanae let out a deep breath as she ran a tired hand through her hair. _"This is way too early for this."_ But straightening up, she looked at Yashiro and, suppressing a smile at his comical yet frantic expression, said, "Kyoko is a big girl and can certainly spend a weekend away. Besides, she's with Tsuruga-san. What's the worst that could happen?"

"HE COULD RIP HER HEART OUT AND TEAR IT TO PIECES! A sweet girl like Kyoko-chan won't be able to handle that!"

"Don't you think you're being a little over-dramatic?"

"AREN'T YOU BEING A LITTLE UNDER-DRAMATIC?"

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "Is Tsuruga-san really that scary?"

"HE'S TERRIFYING! HIS WORDS ARE AS SHARP AS KNIVES! HIS COLDNESS CAN FREEZE EVEN THE WARMEST OF HEARTS! AND HE CAN MAKE PEOPLE CRY WITHOUT EVEN TRYING!"

"Sounds horrible," Kanae agreed.

"It is!"

"And would you say he holds grudges for a long time?"

"FOR AS LONG AS HE POSSIBLY CAN!"

"And does he get mad easily?"

"TOO EASILY!"

"If so, then I suggest you lower your voice, Yashiro-san," she advised as she spoke behind a raised hand. "You wouldn't want to anger him any more than he already is."

"What—?"

Smirking, she lifted a finger and pointed over his shoulder.

Yashiro turned around and felt his eyes widen with surprise. Standing in front of the open elevator doors was Kyoko, who was not only trembling with silent laughter, but also had her tiny hand in a larger hand that belonged to none other than the man in question. And although Yashiro felt an intense wave of happiness wash over him at the sight of his favorite couple walking hand-in-hand, the joy didn't last for long as Ren murmured, "Go on Yashiro, tell me more of how much of a monster I really am."


	16. Loose Ends

Hi everyone! I'm so glad you liked the reconciliation chapter. Even though I wrote this story, I was quite glad to get to the part where they made up. Haha, I like it best when they're together too. Well, I hope you enjoy this next installment! Please Read and Review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Bravo, ladies! Bravo!"

"Really?" they exclaimed as they all turned to him in unison with a hopeful smile.

"You liked it?"

"It was good?"

"Be honest!"

Chuckling, President Lory got to his feet and clapped his hands together. "That was excellent, girls! You did a wonderful job."

Like a burst of color, they all swarmed together and jumped up and down with glee. They had been preparing this play for weeks and to have impressed their boss so thoroughly only reinforced their desire to act. Of course, the girls didn't fail to celebrate their victory with the one person who had helped them out the most.

So to Kyoko's utmost dismay, the girls quickly dragged her into the middle of their huddle and smothered her with hugs, squeals of delight, and exclamations of gratitude. Mimi and Sayuri practically piled on top of her as they cheered at the top of their lungs. And with their laughter so blatantly contagious, Kyoko couldn't help but succumb to their antics as well as she jumped up and down with them. Once they were all out of breath did Kyoko finally tell them to change so that they could all go out and get some celebratory ice cream.

She giggled as she watched them run out, whooping loudly and proudly along the way.

"Good job, Mogami-kun," the president said as he stood beside her with his hands clasped behind his back. "You did well."

"The girls deserve all of the credit, sir. I didn't do anything."

"Nonsense. Your leadership helped them to see their strengths and even more importantly their weaknesses. These aren't the same girls I accepted a month ago, Mogami-kun. They've grown and it wouldn't have happened if you didn't decide to come home."

"Because of you, President Lory," she murmured with a low bow of her head. "Thank you for giving me that chance."

Smiling tenderly, he placed a hand upon her shoulder that pulled her gaze back up to his. "We couldn't have you stay in New York forever, now could we?" he asked with a grandfather-like twinkle in his eye.

Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "I don't think I would have stayed forever."

"No?"

She looked down at her feet and said, "No, it was getting harder every day."

He broke out into a grin.

"Sir?"

His smile grew wider.

"President Lory?"

…

"Sir, that's really quite unnerving."

"You're going to make me ask, aren't you?"

She sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. "With all due respect President Lory sir, but it's a story I'm not comfortable telling."

He pouted. "I helped you two get back together and you're not going to tell me how it happened?"

"You gave him Princess Rosa! That's hardly called helping, sir!"

"As a catalyst, Mogami-kun, as a catalyst."

Inconspicuously rolling her eyes, Kyoko refolded the metal chairs in the center of the room and moved them off to the side as she said, "Well, I suppose your plan worked. But I have to ask, why did you decide to give it to him in the first place, sir? I never asked you to."

Shrugging, the president replied, "I knew it would come in handy some day. One way or another you were going to get that necklace back and so by him having it ensured that you were going to run into him."

"What made you think the necklace was connected to him?"

President Lory chuckled. "If it wasn't, then you wouldn't have looked so heartbroken when you left it here."

She let out a weak smile as she turned to face him, admitting, "It's sort of scary to know that everything you predicted came true, sir."

He laughed and shook his head. "Mogami-kun, the only thing I was sure of was how you felt about him and how he felt about you."

And right before his eyes, President Lory watched his young pupil's face transform into one that nearly took his breath away. Soft, angelic, and purely content, she was smiling in a way he had wanted her to smile ever since the first day they met. Out of all people he had met so far in his career, she was the one who reassured his hope that life could always get better, no matter how bleak. President Lory couldn't think of anyone else who deserved to be so happy—except for of course, his young protégé.

"Thank you, sir," she said softly.

Unable to resist the need to be sentimental, he wrapped a firm arm around her shoulders and said, "There's nothing to thank."

"Kyoko?"

They turned their head to the door and saw Sayuri poking her head through.

"Yes Sayuri-san?"

"Someone's here to see you."

"Me?" Kyoko stepped forward with a curious gaze. "Who is it?"

Sayuri turned around and held the wooden door open wider with one arm as she waited for the guest to walk through. Dressed in a simple outfit of trousers and a black blouse, Ryoko entered with a hesitant look upon her face. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise, but thankfully, President Lory saved her from having to come up with some response by saying in a loud voice, "Yamane-kun! What a pleasant surprise."

"President Lory," she said with a bow of her head. "It's nice to see you."

"Likewise! You're here to speak with Mogami-kun?"

She nodded, her eyes straying to Kyoko's.

"Then I shall be on my way," he said with a tip of his head. "We'll continue our talk later, Mogami-kun." Then after giving her one tiny wink that only she caught, President Lory followed Sayuri out of the rehearsal room.

Ryoko held her hands tightly together as she tried to muster up the courage to say something. Kyoko just stared at her with a look that was both calm and somewhat weary. Her reaction didn't make much sense to Ryoko since she expected her to glare at her and demand her exit immediately. After the stunt she tried to pull, Ryoko wouldn't have blamed her if she kicked her out onto the street. So it surprised the actress greatly when Kyoko asked in a polite voice, "Would you like something to drink, Ryoko-san?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she answered quickly, flailing her hands back and forth as if she had no idea of what to do with them. "I'm…I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, as okay as I can be."

Kyoko said nothing. She just stood there, waiting patiently for whatever Ryoko needed to say.

Knowing that she couldn't prolong the awkward tension for any longer, she looked down at her feet and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Ryoko-san—"

"Please let me finish," she cut in with a raised hand. "I had no right to do what I did. It was childish of me and honestly, I'm surprised I actually did it. It was never my intention to hurt you, but I…I…"

"You love him."

She looked up at her with surprise.

Kyoko showed her a gentle smile and murmured, "You love him and so you did what you felt you had to do."

"How are you not mad?"

"How can I be mad at you for loving him when I'm guilty as well?"

"But I tried to mess everything up between you two! You should hate me for that."

"Because you fought for the man you love? Because you wanted to save the relationship you had? Ryoko-san, if anything, I admire you for what you did."

Ryoko couldn't help but think she must have hit her head—HARD. Her easy acceptance and understanding nature were so unnatural that Ryoko had to consider this was some sort of cruel trick or joke. But when she searched for treachery in her golden eyes, Ryoko could only find sincerity.

Seeing the traces of disbelief in her expression, Kyoko shook her head and said, "I'm not saying I like what you did, but you had the courage to fight for what you want." She let out a sad laugh and ran a hand through her hair. "If I had the same courage, then I would have never missed out on so much precious time."

She then raised her eyes to Ryoko's and added, "I know you didn't do it for me, but I want to thank you for being by his side. I know how important he is to you and I know you're an important part of his life as well."

"He said that?" she whispered, her heart beating sporadically in her chest.

"Do you think you're not?"

"Well I—" Ryoko breathed in deeply and shook her head. "I thought after all that, he wouldn't…" She shrugged. "I wouldn't matter, I suppose."

Feeling sympathy course through her veins at the defeated look upon her face, Kyoko reached for Ryoko's hand and held it between her own. She flashed a comforting smile at her astonished gaze and said, "Ryoko-san, the only difference between you and me is luck. I'm lucky that that he return my feelings. That doesn't make me any better than you and it certainly doesn't make you any worse."

"But you are better," Ryoko sniffed as she squeezed her hand. "He chose you."

"No, I'm not better. Trust me, I'm not better at all."

"He loves you for a reason."

"A reason that's beyond me," Kyoko admitted with a weak smile, "and for other reasons I'm not too sure about. But Ryoko-san, regardless of what happened, you are truly an amazing person for sticking by him for so long, for helping him, and for caring about him without any expectation from him in return. That right there is incredibly selfless."

Ryoko's eyes filled with tears. "You think I love him?" she whispered.

"I know you love him."

It was bizarre how her words gave her such comfort. Ryoko had always known she loved him. She was sure of it the moment he smiled at her, the first time they ate out together, and the many days afterwards when she felt like she was walking on air. But to hear someone else recognize her feelings reassured herself that she had done nothing wrong. Ryoko did try. Ryoko gave it everything she had and there was nothing else she could do.

In fact, as she felt Kyoko squeeze her hand in a warm and tender grasp, Ryoko finally understood that she had no chance of winning against a woman like her. Kyoko had complimented her on her selflessness, but the young actress failed to see the altruism in her own nature as well. Her ability to forgive without malice and her genuine modesty made it all too clear why he was so in love her. Although it was a hard pill to swallow, Ryoko would rather lose to someone like Kyoko than anyone else. At least it was obvious that there was nothing she could do. With Kyoko as her opponent, this was a battle she was meant to lose.

But the tears stinging at the corner of her eyes were hard to ignore. Even though her head understood and accepted the loss, her heart was not as compliant. So when Kyoko stepped forward and gave her a hug, Ryoko accepted her comforting shoulder and cried. She could never say exactly why her tears fell, but for every drop she shed, the weight she had shouldered began to lift. Losing the man she loved was hard, but taking the loss in the arms of a friend made it that much easier.

* * *

Ren stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, staring down at the bustling streets. Cars inched their way through downtown traffic and people were smiling as they walked out of their workplace, grateful for the fact that it was already Friday night. The watch around his wrist struck eight and Ren wanted nothing more than to go home and spend time with the one person he had missed all day, but there was something he wanted to do first. Honestly, he had no idea what he was thinking. Ren was never one to meddle, especially in circumstances like this. A grim smile curved at the corner of his lips as he realized President Lory was starting to rub off on him.

The sounds of a conversation slowly began to build in volume from behind. Ren turned around and saw the metal door swing open to reveal a few band members talking animatedly to a woman dressed in a well-fitted suit who seemed to be unfazed by their flirting ways. But when she raised her head and caught his eye, the shock in her face was not of a fan who had just laid eyes on a celebrity, but rather someone who would rather not have him there at all.

"Tsuruga Ren?" one of the guitarists said out loud. "I can't believe it's you! What's a guy like you doing here? Don't tell me you have a record label too!"

He smiled and shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. In fact, I'm here to speak with Fuwa Sho. Is he inside?"

"Is there something you need?" the woman asked, stepping forward and failing to hide the anxiety in her voice. "Because I can—"

"It's fine, Shoko. I got it."

With his hand combing through his unruly blond locks, Sho stood at the entrance of the doorway in ripped jeans and a white shirt that had clearly seen better days. He looked at Ren and flashed him a smirk that still grated Ren's nerves, but he managed to keep his reaction placid.

"You want to speak out here or inside?"

"Inside would be preferable," Ren replied.

Sho shrugged. He then turned to the group in front of him and said, "Go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

"Are you sure?" the woman named Shoko asked.

He nodded.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she nodded once before turning around and leading the other confused members away.

Sho tipped his head inside the room and walked through the door, Ren following suit. The studio was exactly what anyone would expect. It had loud black speakers all around the walls, microphones on stands and hanging from the ceiling, and a sound board that would intimidate any tech. Sho walked to the recording room and picked up his guitar, fiddling with the strings as he sat down on a wooden stool. Ren remained standing.

"Let me guess, you're here to chew me out."

"Is that your way of admitting you lied?"

Sho scoffed. "I wouldn't call that lying. I told you the version I believed to be the truth. Obviously, she told you otherwise."

"On the contrary, she agreed. You did affect her choice."

His eyes widened in surprise. "She said that?"

"I don't understand," Ren began with a raised eyebrow at the musician's stunned expression. "I thought you told me the truth?"

"I didn't think she would admit it."

"Has Kyoko ever really hidden her feelings from you, Fuwa?"

Sho stopped, noticing how tenderly he spoke her name.

Smiling darkly at his silence, Ren moved to the opposite side of the room and leaned against the wall. "I know she loved you," he murmured.

Sho couldn't respond. He never thought in a million years that he would hear those words from his mouth. But the strangest thing of all was that Ren didn't look angry. His expression was as calm and collected as ever. Unlike that night after the party, Sho didn't feel a flicker of victory at seeing Ren succumb to fury. In fact, the actor only raised his head and continued to stare into Sho's blue eyes with a serenity that bothered him more than he would have liked.

"She told you she loved me…and you forgave her?" he asked with incredulity.

"I knew she loved you from the start. And the only thing I would ever hold against her was her belief that I would abandon her. Her feelings for you, however, do not deter my own."

"It doesn't bother you that she has feelings for me? Are you so willing to share?"

Ren's eyes glinted, causing Sho to shrink back in alarm. "Don't be mistaken," he replied in a low voice. "I have no intention of allowing anyone else come between us. The way I see it, you had your chance to love her and you foolishly threw that opportunity away. And you know just as well as I do that Kyoko has fully moved on."

His hands instinctively clenched into a tight fist. Sho couldn't deny his words because it was a fact he had known ever since he talked to her that day. Before she left, Sho had always been able to get under her skin and elicit whatever kind of response he wanted from her. Heck, he even got her to leave the country because of his interference. But that day, it was as if she didn't see him at all. The coldness in her eyes and the wall she built between them made it all too clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.

It was this realization that forced Sho to take action. He actively looked for Ren, wanting to wreak havoc with the hope that their pain will help him feel better. Of course, there was some part of him that knew his plan was a failure from the start. He was always aware of the feelings they had for each other and what was worse was that he knew that no matter how much time or distance, they would always find their way back.

Of course she would come back for him. Of course Ren would forgive her. Of course they were happy. This didn't make the situation any easier for Sho to accept.

So allowing his frustration to roll free, he got to his feet and snarled, "Did you come here to rub it in my face? Are you really that pleased with yourself?"

"Actually, the reason I came here today was to tell you that it's not too late."

"For what?"

His eyes softened. "To fix the misunderstanding between you and Kyoko."

Sho couldn't have been more shocked. Reaching behind him with a shaky hand, he sat down upon the stool again and stared up at the actor who looked every bit as serious as he did before. This wasn't a joke.

"Why should things be okay between me and her? Isn't that the last thing you want?"

Ren shook his head. "The last thing I want is for her to be unhappy. Regardless of whether or not I like it, it is obvious that you were an important part of her life. You betrayed her trust and hurt her in ways I can't bring myself to explain. But if you love her like you claim you do, then don't you think you should try to right the wrong you committed?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Sho whispered. "What's in it for you? So you can prove you're the better man?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "I don't need to prove that. And this isn't about me. This is about her."

"Don't tell me she misses me."

Ren looked straight into his eyes as if he could pull the true answer right from out of him. Sho practically had to force himself not to look away. He would never admit out loud that the actor's words cut deep, that he had voiced the sentiments Sho had always felt inside, but was too damn proud to do something about. He wasn't going to show that his words took effect. Like always, he was going to shield himself with bravado and not let anyone else know that he had always contemplated what would have happened if she hadn't been there that day, if he hadn't said those incriminating words…

Removing himself from the wall, Ren walked over to the door and reached for the handle. But just when he had pushed the door open, he looked over his shoulder and asked in a strangely soft voice, "Do you really want to leave things like this?"

Sho didn't reply.

"You told her you loved her for a reason, Fuwa. And I want to believe it's because you wanted to set things right. Well, I'm here to tell you that you still can, but if you choose to do nothing, if you sit by and let her go—" Ren met his frozen gaze with steady one of his own—"then I guess we finally understand how strong your feelings for her really are."

And like a hurricane that changed everything in its course, the young actor walked out, leaving a broken man in his wake.


	17. Him and Her

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your support. I hope you enjoy this chapter as you do the others. Please Read and Review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

She breathed in deeply and snuggled deeper into the warmth that was wrapped around her like a blanket. The remnants of a peaceful sleep slowly began to fade until she was lying awake with her eyes closed. The sounds of his steady breathing, the smell of his skin, and the heat of his chest against her cheek danced along her senses. With a pounding heart, she finally opened her eyes to see his sleeping face angled above hers.

Smiling, Kyoko raised her hand and with a touch of a feather traced the curve of his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, and over the softness of his lips that had her blushing as she remembered the many kisses they shared before sleep finally took them. They were both naked under the covers with their legs intertwined and his strong arms wrapped around her waist like he never wanted to let her go. His natural heat warmed her body from her head all the way down to her toes.

She placed her hand against his chiseled cheek and stared at him for a while, loving the butterflies that were flying around in her stomach. Even though they spent the last two weeks making up for lost time, it still didn't seem like enough. Days were excruciatingly long as Kyoko watched the clock tick by, wanting time to fly by faster so she could run home and see him. And nights were far too short with the sun rising over the horizon to whisk them away from each other's arms. Her need for him seemed to burn stronger every day. The more she saw him, the more she wanted him.

Ren must have felt the same way because not too soon after, he asked her to move in with him. Living in the house that he confessed he had designed for her was like a dream come true. It was everything she ever wanted. Sleeping in his arms, cooking dinner just to see his eyes glow with delight, and cuddling on the couch after a long day's work were happy moments that made her feel like she was living in her own little fairy tale. Her eyes softened as a quiet sigh escaped his lips. This was a fairy tale.

And after gazing longingly at his face for longer than she should have, Kyoko decided it was time to get out of bed and start breakfast, but she didn't have the heart to wake him up just yet. He deserved at least another hour of sleep and she wanted to have everything ready for him as soon as he awoke. Gently untangling her legs, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his nose. But just as she was about to swing her legs over the side, an arm snaked around her waist and swiftly pulled her back.

Squealing, she looked up into his playful and highly alert eyes with a bright smile. Her heart fluttered within her chest as he leaned forward and murmured in his husky voice, "Sneaking off, are we?"

"Only for a little bit," she teased.

"I should punish you for that," he growled, nipping at her ear.

A delicious shiver traveled down her spine as she curled her fingers around his neck. "That would work if I was scared," she replied in a breathless voice.

"You're not scared?" he asked, his dark eyes gleaming.

She shook her head bravely.

Then with a smirk that spiked up her heartbeat, Ren pressed his forehead against hers and murmured, "You asked for it." His fingers trailed down her arm, eliciting goose bumps all across her skin before he mercilessly tickled her ribs.

"Ren! Ren!" Kyoko laughed, tears pricking at the corner of her eye as she thrashed within his arms. "No more! No more!"

"I can't hear you," he said over her laughter. "What was that?"

"You win! YOU WIN!"

Moving his hands behind the small of her back, he pulled her tight against his chest until they looked eye to eye, amber to brown. "Are you scared now?" he asked.

Kyoko shook her head with a smile. "Not at all," she answered before she claimed his lips for a kiss.

He let her take control for the first five seconds as he reveled in how sweet she tasted and how soft she felt in his arms. Her hands that were splayed against his chest made their slow path over his muscled shoulders and down his back until he couldn't hold back anymore. With a low rumble building within his throat, Ren slanted his mouth over hers and pressed her body deeper into the mattress. Her moan was like oil to the fire that was already blazing inside of him.

Sparks of desire ignited all of her nerves until she was moving restlessly underneath him. Kyoko felt like she couldn't breathe, but she didn't have the will to let him go either. The way he cradled her body with such tenderness, the desperation of his kiss, and the passion that flowed between them were sending her emotions into overdrive. Trying to find some anchor yet loving the way she felt like she was floating on air, Kyoko sighed and wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

Breathing heavily, Ren leaned back just an inch and stared into her lustful gaze that he knew mirrored his own.

She smiled up at him and pulled at his bottom lip with a finger. "I love you."

"I love you," he repeated tenderly as he placed a kiss upon her palm. Ren then lay back down onto the pillow and pulled her along with him until she comfortably nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder, her arm thrown over his torso. "So what's on the agenda for today?" he asked with his lips in her hair.

"Well," Kyoko began thoughtfully, "we have most of the morning to ourselves until Maria-chan's recital at six. Then afterwards, we are to meet Ryoko-san and Kenji-san for dinner at Alexander's."

Ren nodded. "And at night?"

He could already feel the blush form upon her cheeks as she moved her face closer to his chest and murmured, "Just us."

Trying his very hardest not to smile at her sweet innocence, he held on to her tighter and said, "Then I suppose I should come up with things for us to do."

"Like what?" she asked in a voice so soft he more of felt it than heard it.

Ren's eyes darkened as he flipped over until she was caged within his arms. The look upon her face would have been laughable if not for the way her sensuous lips were telling him to take them for his own. "Oh, I can think of a number of things," he whispered.

Her cheeks flushed bright red and her eyes were glowing with excitement, desire, and just a touch of shyness that was already chipping away at his restraint. If Kyoko had any idea what she did to him, it would be the end of his self control for sure. Of course, she might have some clue as he watched her bite on her bottom lip in the most provocative way he had ever seen.

Ren groaned and pushed up onto his hands. "You're making this really hard, Kyoko."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled down at the puzzled look on her face. Nope, she had no idea.

"We should probably get out of this bed before I keep you here for good," he confessed with a shake of his head to clear the cloud that was threatening to take over his good judgment.

She ran a hand through his silky bed hair and smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Don't tempt me," he rumbled as he nibbled her lower lip, enjoying the flash of pleasure in her eyes. "Because I will do it."

She laughed and propped herself onto her elbows. "I know." And after giving him one last kiss that only left him wanting more, she climbed out from under him and picked up his dress shirt that was lying upon the floor.

Ren kept his eyes on her hands as she turned around and buttoned up the blue garment. Only Kyoko could make the act of _dressing_ seductive. Every morning, she would always wear one of his dress shirts and he enjoyed seeing her in them more than he should. Maybe it was because it was an obvious sign that she was his or how sexy and innocent she looked all at the same.

His heartbeat pounded like a drum in his chest. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her slender legs. It was amazing how she could reduce him into nothing but a puddle of raw, animalistic need. He would spend hours worshipping her body and by the time he was done, Ren wanted nothing more than to start all over. Kyoko brought out feelings he didn't know he had. He was never one to be driven by such need, but in her presence it was as if all rational thought flew out of his head.

"Ren?"

He raised his eyes to hers.

"Aren't you coming?"

Smiling warily at her poor choice of words, Ren grabbed his pair of pants that were hooked over the foot of the bed and pulled them on. He walked up to her until he was standing so close that she practically had to arch her neck back in order to look at him. Lovingly, he cradled her face within his large hands and kissed her forehead.

"You drive me insane."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

He grinned. "Very," he replied as he hugged her tight to his chest once before gently releasing her.

Smiling, she watched him walk into the bathroom with that sexy gait of his before she turned towards the vanity mirror and pulled a comb through her hair. Her face was still flushed and her skin had a slight sheen to it, but the joy in her face was obvious. Kyoko just couldn't stop smiling. With all the knots untangled and her hair now a cascade of silky tresses, Kyoko was just about to step outside of the bedroom when her phone upon the bedside drawer vibrated once. Curious as to whom it would be, she walked over and flipped the thin device open to read:

_I'm sorry. For everything._

Her heart fell still. Time slowed to a stop. The room suddenly shrunk ten times too small.

A part of her was in disbelief. A part of her wanted to ignore it and an even larger part of her wanted to throw the phone against the wall.

She sat down onto the edge of the bed and felt the pain rise until it formed a thick knot in her throat. Taking a deep breath, she closed the phone within her grasp and dropped her head into her hands. Her thoughts skyrocketed back to that day, that same horrid day that changed her life completely. Kyoko thought back to how much she hated him, how much she wanted him to crawl back to her on his hands and knees, how much she foolishly wanted to him to love her.

Without him, she would have never felt so angry. Without him, she would have never felt so broken. Without him, she would have never—

"Kyoko?"

She raised her head and saw Ren standing at the door, eyes widen with concern.

On approach, he knelt down onto one knee in front of her and looked up into her watery eyes, rubbing a thumb across her cheek. "Is everything alright?"

It was amazing how he could calm her down in an instant. Just the touch of his hand brought her back from the verge of spiraling down a path she didn't want to follow anymore. He truly was her anchor. And as Kyoko stared into his worry-ridden eyes, the haze of raw, uncontrollable emotion weakened until she could finally understand the message for what it was.

These words were far too late. His apology didn't change a thing, but she realized that holding onto this grudge was useless. Hating him wasn't worth it.

Kyoko had always known that they would never be the same again. They would never be friends again and she will never feel for him the way she used to ever again, but it was time to forgive, even if she will never forget. It was time to let go, no matter how much her heart didn't want to. So with blurry eyes, she reached for Ren and allowed the tears to flow.

She cried over a lost love she harbored for so many years. She cried over the pain she had kept inside for far too long and finally she cried over him…one last time.

* * *

_Two years later_

Yashiro glanced at his watch for what felt like the millionth time that day. Was it just him or was the second hand ticking by extra slow this morning? He pulled the curtains aside and saw people standing around the gazebo. Some were already seated while most were enjoying the beautiful scenery, talking, laughing, and smiling without a care in the world.

Yashiro smiled grimly. What he would give to be as relaxed and as happy as them. Although, that wasn't entirely true either. Yashiro was happy. So happy in fact that he wasn't going to let anything ruin this special day. He was going to use every manager skill in the book to keep them right on schedule. Not a hair was going to be out of place. Not today.

Feeling determined more than ever, he turned away from the window and walked back down the hallway. He checked every flower arrangement, every bow on every chair, and every string of crystals hanging in the entire venue before he made his way outside. Yashiro smiled kindly in greeting at the people he met. Director Ogata, Sawara, and even Carrie were among them. Every man was wearing his best-looking suit and every woman a dress that flowed beautifully in the yellow sun.

"Yashiro!"

He turned towards the booming voice and had to choke down his gasp of surprise at President Lory. It wasn't that he looked unusual. In fact, he looked so…normal. Donning a pin-striped suit of navy with a pink dress shirt underneath and a pocket hanky to match, President Lory walked up with his hands clasped behind his back.

Yashiro grinned and bowed his head low. "That's quite a suit, sir."

"Well, I didn't want something too flashy. Wouldn't want to step on any toes," he winked.

"Of course not," Yashiro chuckled. "Did you go see Ren already?"

"I did. That man is wound tighter than a spring. He says you aren't answering any of his calls."

Sighing heavily, Yashiro reached into his pocket for his white cotton gloves before he pulled out the cell phone. He had received 17 texts and eight missed calls from the actor in the last 15 minutes. "Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I would say he didn't trust me."

"Well, by the looks of this place, I would say he certainly can. Everything looks immaculate, Yashiro," President Lory complimented with a sweeping gesture of his hand. "You did a wonderful job."

"Thank you very much, sir, but I didn't do this job alone."

"I helped too!"

They turned around and smiled as Maria ran up to them, wearing a salmon chiffon dress that only enhanced the natural beauty of her hundred watt smile and curly locks. She linked her arm through Yashiro's and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Yashiro-san wouldn't have any idea of where to start without me."

He laughed and nodded, affectionately patting her hand. "It's true. She's the true mastermind."

"And since I've made such good decisions so far, I would you like to trust me again, Yashiro-san, when I tell you to come with me."

"Where are we going?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To change of course! You can't possibly wear this," Maria said as she pointed at his tan suit.

"What's wrong with it?"

Rolling her eyes, Maria held his hand and replied, "It's what you ALWAYS wear! Today comes once in a lifetime and I picked out the most perfect suit that will look _incredible_ on you."

"She does have a knack for fashion," President Lory agreed. "Maria picked out what I'm wearing right now."

"And Grandfather looks great. So," she said with finality, "you will be coming with me, Yashiro-san."

Then like a sign of aid, the phone in Yashiro's grasp suddenly vibrated. Happy for the interruption, Yashiro was about to flip it open and answer when Maria snatched it out of his hand and put it into her purse.

"Wait, Maria—!"

"You've been ignoring his calls anyway," she cut in with a wave of her hand. "Besides, Ren-sama is just getting antsy. He'll be fine. Now we have to go get you changed before Onee-sama and Moko-san arrive!"

Not even bothering to wait for his reply, Maria pulled Yashiro along and back into the main building. She smiled at the people who seemed stunned to watch a grown man be pulled along like a rag doll by such a slim girl, but she didn't stop until they reached the grand room in the back. Yashiro leaned over onto his knees, the stitch in his side throbbing painfully. He really needed to work out a little more.

Maria giggled at the sight of him and said, "Trust me, Yashiro-san. You'll love what I picked out for you and I guarantee that by the end of tonight, you're going to catch more than one woman's eye."

"Whose eye will I be catching?"

She grinned. "You'll see. Your suit is in the closet, Yashiro-san."

He sighed, sensing defeat when he saw one. So without a word of complaint, he opened the back door and picked up the black garment bag on the hanger. When he unzipped it, Yashiro's eyes widened at the dark fabric before him. It was certainly fancier than anything he had ever worn.

"Yashiro-san…" her suspicious voice called, echoing off the walls.

Certain that she must have a sixth sense of some sort, Yashiro called back, "Putting it on now, Maria-chan!"

"Okay!"

Yashiro couldn't help smiling as he peeled off his suit jacket. He had to admit it felt nice to have someone fuss over him when he was always so busy fussing over others. And once he finally turned to face the mirror, Yashiro had to do quite a few double takes before he accepted that the man he saw was actually him. The trousers, the jacket, and the crisp white shirt fitted him to the T. Yashiro didn't want to admit it, but this truly did look better than his original suits on any day.

"Well? Do you like it?"

He stepped out and grinned at the awed look in her eyes that only grew as he got closer. "You tell me."

"Yashiro-san! You look so handsome!"

"Thank you, Maria-chan."

She clapped her hands together and linked her arm through his. "Now you're ready."

And right on cue, the phone within her purse vibrated. Maria pulled it out and squealed with joy as she shouted, "They're here! THEY'RE HERE!"

"REALLY?" He reached for the device and saw Kanae's number flashing on screen. Flipping it open, he held it to his ear and asked breathily, "You're here?"

"We're right outside."

"They're outside," he repeated to Maria who was jumping up and down with glee. "We'll be right there, Kotonami-san!"

Like a whirl wind, they ran out of the room, through the mahogany double doors, out to the front lawn, and down the stone steps until the familiar white limo pulled up in front of them. Once the vehicle stopped, the door opened from the inside. A slender leg in a white high-heeled sandal touched the floor first before Kanae surfaced in a long Greek-influenced dress.

She met his wide-eyed gaze with a slight curve of her lips. "Wow, nice suit."

Blushing, Yashiro stepped forward and stammered, "Y-y-y-you look lovely, Kotonami-san."

Maria grinned widely at the two of them before she stepped around Yashiro and asked, "Where's Onee-sama?"

"Here," a soft voice answered from inside the car.

Maria and Yashiro could barely contain the gasp that left their lips as they watched her step out of the limo. Her gown was made of a beautiful white lace that hugged her in all the right places. The long sleeves and elegant train accentuated her slender figure, but it was the plunging neckline in the back that had the two gawking. So wonderfully classy yet elegantly seductive, Kyoko was the epitome of a vixen as she stood in front of them with a tentative smile at her pink lips.

"Kyoko-chan…wow…I can't believe—oh wow…"

"You're breathtaking!" Maria exclaimed, running her eyes over the immaculate make-up, her shimmering golden hair, and the sparkling jewels around her neck and on her ears. "Ren-sama is going to drop dead on his feet!"

"Is he inside?"

Yashiro nodded. "He's been asking for you all day."

Stepping up, Kanae took her rightful place beside her best friend and asked in a gentle tone, "You ready?"

Kyoko nodded. "Maria-chan?"

The young girl grinned and took her place at her other side. "Ready when you are, Onee-sama."

Kyoko finally looked up and smiled at Yashiro's tender gaze. "Yashiro-san?"

He grasped her extended hand and nodded. "I'll do the honors." Taking out the cellular phone, he dialed his friend's number and barely had to wait for the first ring to finish before he heard his frantic hello.

Yashiro grinned. "It's time to take your place at the altar, Ren…because here comes your bride."

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading this story. It was something new I wanted to try and I'm so glad that it worked out better than I expected. I hope I made you proud this time around and hopefully I will see you all again for my next story! Thank you!**


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